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THE 


UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

0F  I"  \ 

CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS: 

>-       &      Cr        O 

ADDRESSED    PARTICULARLY 


CANDIDATES  FOR  THE  MINISTRY, 


BY  SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D. 


■In  neeessariia  uriltas,  in  nun  necesaariia  libertas,  in  omnibus 
charitas." — August  in. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 

WILLIAM    S.    MARTIEN,    PUBLISHING    AGENT. 

1839. 


/ 


CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS. 

The  character  and  situation  of  one  who  is 
preparing  for  the  Sacred  Office,  are  interest- 
ing beyond  the  power  of  language  to  express. 
Such  an  one,  like  the  Master  whom  he  pro- 
fesses to  love  and  serve,  is  "  set  for  the  fall 
and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel."  In  all 
that  he  is,  and  in  all  that  he  does,  the  tempo- 
ral and  eternal  welfare  not  only  of  himself, 
but  of  thousands,  may  be  involved.  On  every 
side  he  is  beset  with  perils.  Whatever  may 
be  his  talents  and  learning,  if  he  have  not 
genuine  piety,  he  will  probably  be  a  curse 
instead  of  a  blessing  to  the  Church.  But  this 
is  not  the  only  danger  to  which  he  is  exposed. 
He  may  have  unfeigned  piety,  as  well  as 
talents  and  learning;  and  yet,  from  habitual 
indiscretion;  from  a  defect  in  that  sobriety  of 
mind,  which  is  so  precious  to  all  men,  but 
especially  to  every  one  who  occupies  a  public 
station;  from  a  fondness  for  novelty  and  inno- 
vation, or  from  that  love  of  distinction  which 
is  so  natural  to  men; — after  all,  instead  of  edi- 


4  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

fying  the  "  body  of  Christ,"  he  may  become 
a  disturber  of  its  peace,  and  a  corrupter  of  its 
purity;  so  that  we  might  almost  say,  what- 
ever may  be  the  result  with  respect  to  him- 
self, "  it  had  been  good  for  the  Church  if  he 
had  never  been  born." 

Hence  it  is,  that  every  part  of  the  character 
of  him  who  is  coming  forward  to  the  holy 
ministry;  his  opinions;  his  temper;  his  attain- 
ments; his  infirmities;  and  above  all,  his  char- 
acter as  a  practical  Christian; — are  of  inesti- 
mable importance  to  the  ecclesiastical  commu- 
nity of  which  he  is  destined  to  be  a  minister. 
Nothing  that  pertains  to  him  is  uninteresting. 
If  it  were  possible  for  him,  strictly  speaking, 
to  "live  to  himself,"  or  to  "die  to  himself," 
the  case  would  be  different.  But  it  is  not 
possible.  His  defects  as  well  as  his  excellen- 
cies; his  gifts  and  graces,  as  well  as  the  weak 
points  of  his  character,  must  and  will  all  have 
their  appropriate  effect  on  every  thing  that  he 
touches.  Can  you  wonder,  then,  that  employ- 
ed to  conduct  the  education  of  candidates  for 
this  high  and  holy  office,  we  feel  ourselves 
placed  under  a  solemn,  nay,  an  awful  respon- 
sibility?    Can   you   wonder  that,  having  ad- 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  5 

vanced  a  little  before  you  in  our  experience  in 
relation  to  this  office,  we  cherish  the  deepest 
solicitude  at  every  step  you  take?  Can  you 
wonder,  that  we  daily  exhort  you  to  "  take  heed 
to  yourselves  and  your  doctrine;"  and  that  we 
cease  not  to  entreat  you,  and  to  pray  for  you 
that  you  give  all  diligence  to  approve  your- 
selves to  God  and  his  Church  able  and  faith- 
ful servants?  Independently  of  all  official 
obligation,  did  we  not  feel  and  act  thus,  we 
should  manifest  an  insensibility  to  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Church,  as  well  as  to  your  true 
welfare,  equally  inexcusable  and  degrading. 

It  is  in  consequence  of  this  deep  solicitude 
for  your  improvement  in  every  kind  of  min- 
isterial furniture,  that  we  not  only  endeavour 
to  conduct  the  regular  course  of  your  instruc- 
tion in  such  a  manner  as  we  think  best  adapt- 
ed to  promote  the  great  end  of  all  your 
studies;  but  that  we  also  seize  the  opportunity 
which  the  general  Lecture,  introductory  to 
each  session  affords  us,  of  calling  your  atten- 
tion to  a  series  of  subjects,  which  do  not  fall 
within   the  ordinary  course  of  our  instruction. 

A  subject  of  this  nature  will  engage  our 
attention  on  the  present  occasion:  namely,  the 
1* 


6  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

importance  of  Creeds  and  Confessions  for 
maintaining  the  unity  and  purity  of  the  visi- 
ble Church. 

This  is  a  subject,  which,  though  it  properly 
belongs  to  the  department  of  Church  Govern- 
vient,  has  always  been,  for  want  of  time, 
omitted  in  the  Lectures  usually  delivered  on 
that  division  of  our  studies.  And  I  am  indu- 
ced now  to  call  your  attention  to  it,  because,  as 
I  said,  it  properly  belongs  to  the  department 
committed  to  me;  because  it  is  in  itself  a  sub- 
ject highly  interesting  and  important;  because 
it  has  been  for  a  number  of  years  past,  and 
still  is,  the  object  of  much  severe  animad- 
version, on  the  part  of  latitudinarians  and 
heretics;  and  because,  though  abundantly 
justified  by  reason,  Scripture,  and  universal 
experience,  the  spontaneous  feelings  of  many, 
especially  under  the  free  government  which  it 
is  our  happiness  to  enjoy,  rise  up  in  arms 
against  what  they  deem,  and  are  sometimes 
pleased  to  call,  the  excessive  "  rigour"  and 
even  "  tyranny"  of  exacting  subscription  to 
Articles  of  Faith. 

It  is  my  design,  first,  to  offer  some  remarks 
on   the    utility    and     importance   of    written 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  7 

Creeds;  and  secondly,  to  obviate  some  of  the 
more  common  and  plausible  objections  which 
have  been  urged  against  them  by  their  adver- 
saries. 

I.  By  a  Creed,  or  Confession  of  Faith,  I 
mean,  an  exhibition,  in  human  language,  of 
those  great  doctrines  which  are  believed  by 
the  framers  of  it  to  be  taught  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures;  and  which  are  drawn  out  in  regu- 
lar order,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  how 
far  those  who  wish  to  unite  in  church  fellow- 
ship are  really  agreed  in  the  fundamental 
principles  of  Christianity.  Creeds  and  Con- 
fessions do  not  claim  to  be  in  themselves  laws 
of  Christ's  house,  or  legislative  enactments,  by 
which  any  set  of  opinions  are  constituted  truths, 
and  which  require,  on  that  account,  to  be  re- 
ceived as  truths  among  the  members  of  his 
family.  They  only  profess  to  be  summaries, 
extracted  from  the  Scriptures,  of  a  few  of 
those  great  Gospel  doctrines,  which  are  taught 
by  Christ  himself;  and  which  those  who  make 
the  summary  in  each  particular  case,  concur 
in  deeming  important,  and  agree  to  make  the 
test  of  their  religious  union.  They  have  no 
idea  that,  in  forming  this  summary,  they  make 


8  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

any  thing  truth,  that  was  not  truth  before;  or 
that  they  thereby  contract  an  obligation  to 
believe,  what  they  were  not  bound  by  the 
authority  of  Christ  to  believe  before.  But 
they  simply  consider  it  as  a  list  of  the  leacling 
truths  which  the  Bible  teaches,  which,  of 
course,  all  men  ought  to  believe,  because  the 
Bible  does  teach  them;  and  which  a  certain 
portion  of  the  visible  church  catholic  agree  in 
considering  as  a  formula  by  means  of  which 
they  may  know  and  understand  one  another. 

Now,  I  affirm,  that  the  adoption  of  such  a 
Creed  is  not  only  lawful  and  expedient,  but 
also  indispensably  necessary  to  the  harmony 
and  purity  of  the  visible  Church.  For  the 
establishment  of  this  position,  let  me  request 
your  attention  to  the  following  considerations. 

1.  Without  a  Creed  explicitly  adopted,  it  is 
not  easy  to  see  how  the  ministers  and  mem- 
bers of  any  particular  church,  and  more  espe- 
cially a  large  denomination  of  Christians,  can 
maintain  unity  among  themselves. 

If  every  Christian  were  a  mere  insulated 
individual,  who  inquired,  felt,  and  acted  for 
himself  alone,  no  creed  of  human  formation 
would  be  necessary  for  his  advancement  in 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  9 

knowledge,  comfort,  or  holiness.  With  the 
Bible  in  his  closet,  and  with  his  eyes  opened 
to  see  the  "  wondrous  things"  which  it  con- 
tains, he  would  have  all  that  was  needful  for 
his  edification.  But  the  case  is  far  otherwise. 
The  church  is  a  society;  a  society  which, 
however  extended,  is  "  one  body  in  Christ," 
and  all  who  compose  it,  "  members  one  of 
another."  Nor  is  this  society  merely  required 
to  be  one  in  name,  or  to  recognize  a  mere 
theoretical  union;  but  also  carefully  to  main- 
tain "  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of 
peace."  They  are  exhorted  to  "stand  fast 
in  one  spirit  with  one  mind."  They  are  com- 
manded all  to  "  speak  the  same  thing,"  and 
to  be  "  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind."  And 
this  "  unity  of  spirit"  is  as  essential  to  the 
comfort  and  edification  of  those  who  are  join- 
ed together  in  church  fellowship,  as  it  is  to  a 
compliance  with  the  command  of  their  Master. 
"  How  can  any  walk  together  unless  they  be 
agreed?"  Can  a  body  of  worshippers,  com- 
posed of  Calvinists,  Arminians,  Pelagians, 
Arians,  and  Socinians,  all  pray,  and  preach, 
and  commune  together  profitably  and  com- 
fortably, each  retaining  the  sentiments,  feel- 


10  UTILITY    AND    IMPORTANCE 

ings,  and  language  appropriate  to  his  denomi- 
nation? This  would  indeed  make  the  house 
of  God  a  miserable  Babel.  What!  can  those 
who  believe  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  God, 
equal  with  the  Father,  and  worship  him 
accordingly;  and  those  who  consider  all  such 
worship  as  abominable  idolatry: — Those  who 
cordially  renounce  all  dependence  on  their 
own  works  or  merit  for  justification  before 
God,  relying  entirely  on  his  rich  grace, 
u  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus;"  and  those  who  pronounce  all  such 
reliance  fanatical,  and  man's  own  righteous- 
ness the  sole  ground  of  hope:  Can  persons 
who  cherish  these  irreconcilably  opposite  sen- 
timents and  feelings  on  the  most  important  of 
all  subjects,  unite  with  edification  in  the  same 
prayers,  listen  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  to  the 
same  instructions,  and  sit  together  in  comfort 
at  the  same  sacramental  table?  As  well  might 
Jews  and  Christians  worship  together  in  the 
same  temple.  They  must  either  be  perfectly 
indifferent  to  the  great  subjects  on  which  they 
are  thus  divided,  or  all  their  intercourse  must 
be  productive  of  jarring  and  distress.  Such  a 
discordant  assembly  might  talk  about  church 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  H 

fellowship;  but  that  they  should  really  enjoy 
that  fellowship  which  the  Bible  describes  as 
so  precious,  and  which  the  pious  so  much 
delight  to  cultivate,  is  impossible;  just  as  im- 
possible as  "  that  righteousness  should  have 
fellowship  with  unrighteousness,"  or  "  light 
hold  communion  with  darkness,  or  Christ 
maintain  concord  with  Belial." 

Holding  these  things  to  be  self-evident, 
how,  I  ask,  is  any  church  to  guard  itself  from 
that  baleful  discord,  that  perpetual  strife  of 
feeling,  if  not  of  words  and  conduct,  which 
must  ensue,  when  it  is  made  up  of  such  hete- 
rogeneous materials  ?  Nay,  how  is  a  church 
to  avoid  the  guilt  of  harbouring  in  its  bosom, 
and  of  countenancing  by  its  fellowship,  the 
worst  heresies  that  ever  disgraced  the  Chris- 
tian name?  It  is  not  enough  for  attaining  this 
object,  that  all  who  are  admitted  profess  to 
agree  in  receiving  the  Bible;  for  many  who 
call  themselves  Christians,  and  profess  to  take 
the  Bible  for  their  guide,  hold  opinions,  and 
speak  a  language  as  foreign,  nay,  as  opposite, 
to  the  opinions  and  language  of  many  others, 
who  equally  claim  to  be  Christians,  and  equal- 
ly profess  to  receive  the  Bible,  as  the  east  is 


12  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

to  the  west.  Of  those  who  agree  in  this  gene- 
ral profession,  the  greater  part  acknowledge 
as  of  divine  authority  the  whole  sacred  canon, 
as  we  receive  it;  while  others  would  throw  out 
whole  chapters,  and  some  a  number  of  entire 
books  from  the  volume  of  God's  revealed  will. 
The  orthodox  maintain  the  plenary  inspira- 
tion of  the  Scriptures;  while  some  who  insist 
that  they  are  Christians,  deny  their  inspira- 
tion altogether.  In  short,  there  are  multitudes 
who,  professing  to  believe  the  Bible,  and  to 
take  it  for  their  guide,  reject  every  fundamen- 
tal doctrine  which  it  contains.  So  it  was  in 
the  beginning  as  well  as  now.  An  inspired 
Apostle  declares,  that  some  in  his  day,  who 
not  only  professed  to  believe  the  Scriptures, 
but  even  to  "  preach  Christ,"  did  really  preach 
"  another  Gospel,"  the  teachers  of  which  he 
charges  those  to  whom  he  wrote  to  hold 
"accursed;"  and  he  assures  them  that  there 
are  some  "  heresies"  so  deep  and  radical  that 
they  are  to  be  accounted  "  damnable."  Sure- 
ly those  who  maintain  the  true  Gospel,  cannot 
"  walk  together"  in  u  church  fellowship"  with 
those  who  are  "  accursed"  for  preaching  "  an- 
other Gospel,"  and  who  espouse  "  damnable 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  13 

heresies,"  the  advocates  of  which  the  disciples 
of  Christ  are  not  permitted  even  to  "  receive 
into  their  houses,"  or  to  "  bid  God  speed!" 
How,  then,  I  ask  again,  are  the  members  of  a 
Church,  to  take  care  that  they  be,  according 
to  the  divine  command,  "  of  one  mind,"  and 
"  of  one  way?"  They  may  require  all  who 
enter  their  communion  to  profess  a  belief  in 
the  Bible;  nay,  they  may  require  this  profes- 
sion to  be  repeated  every  day,  and  yet  may 
be  corrupted  and  divided  by  every  form  of 
the  grossest  error.  Such  a  profession,  it  is 
manifest,  ascertains  no  agreement;  is  a  bond 
of  no  real  union;  a  pledge  of  no  spiritual  fel- 
lowship. It  leaves  every  thing  within  the 
range  of  nominal  Christianity,  as  perfectly 
undefined,  and  as  much  exposed  to  total  dis- 
cord as  before. 

But  perhaps  it  will  be  proposed  as  a  more 
efficient  remedy,  that  there  be  a  private 
understanding,  vigilantly  acted  upon,  that 
no  ministers  or  members  be  admitted,  but 
those  who  are  known,  by  private  conversa- 
tion with  them,  substantially  to  agree  with 
the  original  body,  with  regard  both  to  doc- 
trine and  order.  In  this  way,  some  allege, 
2 


14  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

discord  may  be  banished,  and  a  church  kept 
pure  and  peaceful,  without  an  odious  array  of 
Creeds  and  Confessions.  To  this  proposal,  I 
answer,  in  the  first  place,  it  is,  to  all  intents 
and  purposes,  exhibiting  a  Creed,  and  requir- 
ing subscription  to  it,  while  the  contrary  is 
insinuated  and  professed.  It  is  making  use  of 
a  religious  test,  in  the  most  rigorous  manner, 
without  having  the  honesty  or  the  manliness 
to  avow  it.  For  what  matter  is  it,  as  to  the 
real  spirit  of  the  proceeding,  whether  the 
Creed  be  reduced  to  writing,  or  be  registered 
only  in  the  minds  of  the  church  members,  and 
applied  by  them  as  a  body,  if  it  equally  ex- 
clude applicants  who  are  not  approved!  But 
to  this  proposed  remedy,  I  answer,  in  the 
second  place,  the  question,  what  is  soundness 
in  the  faith?  however  explicitly  agreed  upon 
by  the  members  of  the  church  among  them- 
selves, cannot  be  safely  left  to  the  understand- 
ing and  recollection  of  each  individual  belong- 
ing to  the  body  in  question.  As  well  might 
the  civil  constitution  of  a  State,  instead  of 
being  committed  to  writing,  be  left  to  the 
vague  and  ever  varying  impressions  of  the 
individual  citizens  who  live  under  it.    In  such 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  15 

a  constitution,  every  one  sees  there  could  be 
neither  certainty  nor  stability.  Scarcely  any 
two  retailers  of  its  articles  would  perfectly 
agree;  and  the  same  persons  would  expound  it 
differently  at  different  times,  as  their  interests 
or  their  passions  might  happen  to  bear  sway. 
Quite  as  unreasonable  and  unsafe,  to  say  the 
least,  would  it  be  to  leave  the  instrument  of  a 
church's  fellowship  on  a  similar  footing.  Such 
a  nuncupative  creed,  when  most  needed  as  a 
means  of  quieting  disturbances,  or  of  exclud- 
ing corruption,  would  be  rendered  doubtful, 
and,  of  course,  useless,  by  having  its  most 
important  provisions  called  in  question  on 
every  side.  A  case  in  which,  if  it  were  made 
operative  at  all,  it  would  be  far  more  likely  to 
be  perverted  into  an  instrument  of  popular 
oppression,  than  to  be  employed  as  a  means  of 
sober  and  wholesome  government. 

The  inference  then  plainly  is,  that  no 
church  can  hope  to  maintain  a  homogeneous 
character; — no  church  can  be  secure  either  of 
purity  or  peace,  for  a  single  year;  nay,  no 
church  can  effectually  guard  against  the  high- 
est degrees  of  corruption  and  strife,  without 
some  test  of  truth,  explicitly  agreed  upon,  and 


16  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

adopted  by  her,  in  her  ecclesiastical  capa- 
city; something  recorded;  something  publicly 
known;  something  capable  of  being  referred 
to  when  most  needed;  which  not  merely  this 
or  that  private  member  supposes  to  have  been 
received;  but  to  which  the  church  as  such  has 
agreed  to  adhere,  as  a  bond  of  union.  In 
other  wofds,  a  church,  in  order  to  maintain 
"  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace 
and  love,"  must  have  a  Creed — a  written 
Creed — to  which  she  has  formally  given  her 
assent,  and  to  a  conformity  to  which  her 
ministrations  are  pledged.  As  long  as  such  a 
test  is  faithfully  applied,  she  cannot  fail  of 
being  in  some  good  degree  united  and  harmo- 
nious; and  when  nothing  of  the  kind  is  em- 
ployed, I  see  not  how  she  can  be  expected, 
without  a  miracle,  to  escape  all  the  evils  of 
discord  and  corruption. 

2.  The  necessity  and  importance  of  Creeds 
and  Confessions  appear  from  the  considera- 
tion, that  one  great  design  of  establishing  a 
Church  in  our  world  was,  that  she  might  be 
in  all  ages,  a  depository,  a  guardian,  and  a 
witness  of  the  truth. 

Christians,  collectively  as  well  as  individu» 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  17 

ally,  are  represented  in  Scripture  as  witnesses 
for  God.  They  are  commanded  to  maintain 
his  truth,  and  to  "  hold  forth  the  word  of 
life,"  in  all  its  purity  and  lustre  before  a  per- 
verse generation,  that  others  may  be  enlight- 
ened and  converted.  They  are  exhorted  to 
"  buy  the  truth,  and  not  to  sell  it;" — to  "con- 
tend earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints;" — to  "  hold  fast  the  form  of  sound 
words  which  they  have  received;" — and  to 
"  strive  together  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel." 
These,  and  many  other  commands,  of  similar 
import,  plainly  make  it  the  duty  of  every 
Christian  church  to  detect  and  expose  prevail- 
ing heresies;  to  exclude  all  such  as  embrace 
radical  heresy  from  their  communion;  and  to 
"  lift  up  a  standard"  for  truth,  whenever  "the 
enemy  comes  in  like  a  flood." 

But  does  not  all  this  imply  taking  effectual 
measures  to  distinguish  between  truth  and 
error?  Does  not  all  this  necessarily  infer  the 
duty  of  drawing,  and  publicly  manifesting,  a 
line  between  those  who,  while  they  profess,  in 
general,  to  believe  the  Bible,  really  deny  all 
its  essential  doctrines;  and  those  who  simply 
and  humbly  receive  "  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
2* 


IS  UTILITY  ANT-  IMPORTANCE 

Jesus?"  But  how  is  this  distinction  to  be 
made,  seeing  those  who  embrace  the  essential 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  equally  profess  to 
receive  the  Bible  ?  It  can  only  be  done  by 
carefully  ascertaining  and  explicitly  declaring 
how  the  church  herself,  and  how  those  whom 
she  suspects  of  being  in  error,  understand  and 
interpret  the  Bible;  that  is,  by  extracting 
certain  articles  of  faith  from  the  Scriptures, 
according  to  her  understanding  of  them,  and 
comparing  these  articles  with  the  professed 
belief  of  those  whom  she  supposes  to  be  here- 
tics. And  what  is  this  but  extracting  from 
the  Scriptures  a  Confession  of  Faith — a  Creed, 
and  applying  it  as  a  test  of  sound  principles? 
It  does  really  appear  to  me  that  those  orthodox 
brethren,  who  admit  that  the  church  is  bound 
to  raise  her  voice  against  error,  and  to  "  con- 
tend earnestly"  for  the  truth;  and  yet  de- 
nounce Creeds  and  Confessions,  are,  in  the 
highest  degree  inconsistent  with  themselves. 
They  acknowledge  the  obligation  and  im- 
portance of  a  great  duty;  and  yet  reject  the 
only  means  by  which  it  can  be  performed. 
Quite  as  unreasonable,  I  am  constrained  to  say, 
as  the  "task  masters  of  Egypt,"  they  require 


Or  CREEDS  AND  CONTESSIOXS.  19 

work  to  be  done,  without  allowing  the  mate- 
rials necessary  to  its  accomplishment  Before 
the  church,  as  such,  can  detect  heretics,  and 
cast  them  out  from  her  bosom:  before  she  can 
raise  her  voice,  in  "  a  day  of  rebuke  and  of 
blasphemy,"  against  prevailing  errors,  her 
governors  and  members  must  be  agreed  what 
is  truth;  and,  unless  they  would  give  them- 
selves up,  in  their  official  judgments,  to  all  the 
caprice  and  feverish  effervescence  of  occasional 
feeling,  they  must  have  some  accredited,  per- 
manent document,  exhibiting  what  they  have 
agreed  to  consider  as  truth.  There  is  really 
no  feasible  alternative.  They  must  either 
have  such  "  a  form  of  sound  words,"  which 
they  have  voluntarily  adopted,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  one  another  to  "  hold  fast;"  or 
they  can  have  no  security  that  any  two  or 
more  successive  decisions  concerning  sound- 
ness in  the  faith  will  be  alike.  In  other 
words,  they  cannot  attain,  in  any  thing  like  a 
steady,  uniform,  consistent  manner,  one  of  the 
great  purposes  for  which  the  visible  church 
was  established. 

It  surely  will  not  be  said,  by  any  conside- 
rate person,  that  the  church,  or  any  of  her 


20  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

individual  members,  can  sufficiently  fulfil  the 
duty  in  question,  by  simply  proclaiming  from 
time  to  time,  in  the  midst  of  surrounding 
error,  her  adherence  and  her  attachment  to 
the  Bible.  Every  one  must  see  that  this 
would  be,  in  fact,  doing  nothing  as  "  witnesses 
of  the  truth;"  because  it  would  be  doing 
nothing  peculiar;  nothing  distinguishing;  no- 
thing which  every  heretic  in  Christendom  is 
not  ready  to  do,  or  rather  is  not  daily  doing, 
as  loudly,  and  as  frequently  as  the  most  ortho- 
dox church.  The  very  idea  of  "  bearing 
testimony  to  the  truth,"  and  of  separating 
from  those  who  are  so  corrupt  that  Christian 
communion  cannot  be  maintained  with  thern, 
necessarily  implies  some  public  discriminating 
act,  in  which  the  church  agrees  upon,  and 
expresses  her  belief  in,  the  great  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  in  contradistinction  from  those 
who  believe  erroneously.  Now  to  suppose 
that  any  thing  of  this  kind  can  be  accom- 
plished, by  making  a  profession,  the  very 
same,  in  every  respect,  with  that  which  the 
worst  heretics  make,  is  too  palpably  absurd  to 
satisfy  any  sober  inquirer. 

Of  what  value,  let  me  ask,  had  the  Walden- 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  21 

ses  and  Albigenses  been,  as  witnesses  of  the 
truth — as  lights  in  the  world,  amidst  the  dark- 
ness of  surrounding  corruption; — especially  of 
what  value  had  they  been  to  the  church  in 
succeeding  times,  and  to  us  at  the  present  day, 
if  they  had  not  formed,  and  transmitted  to 
posterity  those  celebrated  Confessions  of  Faith, 
as  precious  as  they  are  memorable,  which  we 
read  in  their  history,  and  which  stand  as  so 
many  monumental  testimonies  to  the  true 
"Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God?"  Without 
these,  how  should  we  ever  have  known  in 
what  manner  they  interpreted  the  Bible;  or 
wherein  they  differed  from  the  grossest  here- 
tics, who  lived  at  the  same  time,  and  professed 
to  receive  the  same  Bible?  Without  these, 
how  should  we  ever  have  seen  so  clearly  and 
satisfactorily  as  we  do,  that  they  maintained 
the  truth  and  the  order  of  Christ's  house, 
amidst  all  the  wasting  desolations  of  the  "  man 
of  sin;"  and  thus  fulfilled  his  promise,  that 
there  shall  always  be  u  a  seed  to  serve  him, 
who  shall  be  accounted  to  the  Lord  for  a 
generation  ?" 

3.   The  adoption  and  publication  of  a  Creed, 
is  a  tribute  to  truth  and  candour,  which  every 


22  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

Christian  church  owes  to  the  other  churches, 
and  to  the  world  around  her. 

Every  wise  man  will  wish  to  be  united  in 
religious  duty  and  privilege,  with  those  who 
most  nearly  agree  with  himself  in  their  views 
of  doctrine  and  order;  with  those  in  intercourse 
with  whom  he  can  be  most  happy,  and  best 
edified.  Of  course,  he  will  be  desirous,  before 
he  joins  any  church,  to  know  something  of  its 
faith,  government,  and  general  character.  I 
will  suppose  a  pious  and  ingenuous  individual 
about  to  form  his  religious  connections  for  life. 
He  looks  round  on  the  churches  to  which  he 
has  most  access,  and  is  desirous  of  deciding 
with  which  of  them  he  can  be  most  comfort- 
able. I  will  suppose  that,  in  this  survey,  he 
turns  his  eyes  towards  the  truly  scriptural  and 
primitive  church  to  which  it  is  our  happiness 
to  belong.  He  is  anxious  to  know  the  doc- 
trine as  well  as  the  order  which  he  may  expect 
to  find  in  connection  with  our  body.  How  is 
he  to  know  this?  Certainly  not  by  going 
from  church  to  church  throughout  our  whole 
bounds,  and  learning  the  creed  of  every  indi- 
vidual minister  from  his  own  lips.  This  would 
be  physically  impossible,  without  bestowing  on 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  23 

the  task  a  degree  of  time  and  toil,  which 
scarcely  any  man  could  afford.  He  could  not 
actually  hear  for  himself  the  doctrines  taught 
in  a  twentieth  part  of  our  pulpits.  And  if  he 
could,  he  would  still  be  unable  to  decide,  from 
this  source  alone,  how  far  what  he  heard  might 
be  regarded  as  the  uniform  and  universal,  and 
especially  as  the  permanent  character  of  the 
church;  and  not  rather  as  an  accidental  exhibi- 
tion. But  when  such  an  inquirer  finds  that 
we  have  a  published  creed,  declaring  how  we 
understand  the  Scriptures,  and  explicitly  stating 
in  detail  the  great  truths  which  we  have  agreed 
to  unite  in  maintaining;  he  can  ascertain  in  a 
few  hours,  and  without  leaving  his  own  dwell- 
ing, what  we  profess  to  believe  and  to  practise, 
and  how  far  he  may  hope  to  be  at  home  in  our 
communion.  And  while  he  is  enabled  thus  to 
understand  the  system  to  which  we  profess  to 
adhere,  he  enables  us  to  understand  his  views, 
by  ascertaining  how  far  they  accord  with  our 
published  creed. 

Further,  what  is  thus  due  to  ingenuous  indi- 
viduals, who  wish  to  know  the  real  character 
of  our  church,  is  also  due  to  neighbouring 
churches,  who  may  have  no  less  desire  to  ascer- 


24  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

tain  the  principles  which  we  embrace.  It  is 
delightful  for  ecclesiastical  communities,  who 
approach  near  to  each  other  in  faith  and  order, 
to  manifest  their  affection  for  one  another,  by 
cherishing  some  degreeof  Christian  intercourse. 
But  what  church,  which  valued  the  preser- 
vation of  its  own  purity  and  peace,  would  ven- 
ture on  such  intercourse  with  a  body  which 
had  no  denned  system,  either  of  doctrine  or 
government,  to  which  it  stood  pledged;  and 
which  might,  therefore,  prove  a  source  of  pol- 
lution and  disorder  to  every  other  church  with 
which  it  had  the  smallest  interchange  of  ser- 
vices ?  One  of  the  ministers  of  such  a  denomi- 
nation, when  invited  into  the  pulpit  of  an  or- 
thodox brother,  might  give  entire  satisfaction; 
while  the  verj  next  to  whom  a  similar  mark 
of  Christian  affection  and  confidence  was  shown, 
might  preach  the  most  corrupt  heresy.  Creeds 
and  Confessions,  then,  so  far  from  having  a 
tendency  to  "alienate"  and  "embitter M  those 
Christian  denominations  which  think  nearly 
alike,  and  ought  to  maintain  fraternal  inter- 
course, really  tend  to  make  them  acquainted 
with  each  other;  to  lay  a  foundation  for  regu- 
lar and  cordial  intercourse;  to  beget  mutual 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  25 

confidence;  and  thus  to  promote  the  harmony 
of  the  church  of  God. 

I  scruple  not,  therefore,  to  affirm,  that,  as 
every  individual  minister  owes  to  all  around 
him  a  frank  avowal  of  his  Christian  faith, 
when  any  desire  to  know  it;  so  every  church 
owes  it  to  her  sister  churches,  to  be  equally 
frank  and  explicit  in  publicly  declaring  her 
principles.  She,  no  doubt,  believes  those  prin- 
ciples to  be  purely  scriptural.  In  publicly 
avowing  them,  therefore,  she  performs  the 
double  duty  of  bearing  testimony  to  the  truth, 
and  of  endeavouring  to  draw  from  less  pure 
denominations,  and  from  the  surrounding  world, 
new  support  to  what  she  conscientiously  be- 
lieves to  be  more  correct  sentiments  than 
theirs.  She  may  be  erroneous  in  this  estimate; 
but  still  she  does  what  she  can,  and  what  she 
unfeignedly  believes  to  be  right;  and  what,  of 
course,  as  long  as  this  conviction  continues,  she 
is  bound  to  perform.  And  I  have  no  hesita- 
tion in  further  maintaining,  that,  in  all  ages, 
those  Christian  churches  which  have  been 
most  honourably  distinguished  for  their  piety, 
their  zeal,  and  their  adherence  to  the  simplicity 
of  the  gospel,  have  been,  not  only  most  re- 


26  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

markable  for  their  care  in  forming,  but  also  for 
their  frankness  in  avowing,  their  doctrinal 
creed;  and  their  disposition  to  let  all  around 
them  distinctly  understand  what  they  professed 
to  regard  as  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  our 
holy  religion. 

4.  Another  argument  in  favour  of  Creeds 
publicly  adopted  and  maintained,  is  that  they 
are  friendly  to  the  study  of  Christian  doctrine, 
and,  of  course,  to  the  prevalence  of  Christian 
knowledge. 

It  is  the  general  principle  of  the  enemies  of 
Creeds,  that  all  who  profess  to  believe  the 
Bible,  ought,  without  further  inquiry,  to  unite; 
to  maintain  ecclesiastical  communion ;  and  to 
live  together  in  peace.  But  is  it  not  manifest, 
that  the  only  way  in  which  those  who  essen- 
tially differ  from  each  other  concerning  the 
fundamental  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  can  live 
together  in  perfectly  harmonious  ecclesiastical 
fellowship,  is  by  becoming  indifferent  to  truth; 
in  other  words,  by  becoming  persuaded  that 
modes  of  faith  are  of  little  or  no  practical  im- 
portance to  the  Church,  and  are,  therefore,  not 
worth  contending  for;  that  clear  and  discrimi- 
nating views  of  Christian  doctrine  are  wholly 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  27 

unnecessary,  and  of  little  use  in  the  formation 
of  Christian  character?  But  in  proportion  as 
professing  Christians  are  indifferent  to  truth, 
will  they  not  be  apt  to  neglect  the  study  of  it? 
And  if  the  study  of  it  be  generally  neglected, 
will  not  gross  and  deplorable  ignorance  of  it 
eventually  and  generally  prevail?  The  fact  is, 
when  men  love  gospel  truth  well  enough  to 
study  it  with  care,  they  will  soon  learn  to  esti- 
mate its  value;  they  will  soon  be  disposed  to 
"  contend  for  it,"  against  its  enemies,  who  are 
numerous  in  every  age;  and  this  will  inevitably 
lead  them  to  adopt  and  defend  that  "  form  of 
sound  words  "  which  they  think  they  find  in 
the  sacred  Scriptures.  On  the  other  hand,  let 
any  man  imbibe  the  notion  that  Creeds  and 
Confessions  are  unscriptural,  and  of  course  un- 
lawful, and  he  will  naturally  and  speedily  pass 
to  the  conclusion,  that  all  contending  for  doc- 
trines is  useless,  and  even  criminal.  From 
this  the  transition  is  easy  to  the  abandonment 
of  the  study  of  doctrine,  or,  at  least,  the  zealous 
and  diligent  study  of  it.  Thus  it  is,  that  laying 
aside  all  Creeds,  naturally  tends  to  make  pro- 
fessing Christians  indifferent  to  the  study  of 
Christian  truth;  comparatively  uninterested  in 


28  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

the  attainment  of  religious  knowledge;  and, 
finally,  regardless,  and,  of  course,  ignorant  of 
"the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints." 

I  would  by  no  means,  indeed,  be  understood 
to  assert,  that  no  heretics  have  ever  been  zea- 
lous in  publishing  and  defending  their  corrupt 
opinions.  The  pages  of  ecclesiastical  history 
abundantly  show,  that  many  of  the  advocates 
of  error,  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times, 
have  contended  not  only  pertinaciously,  but 
even  fiercely,  for  their  peculiar  doctrines.  But 
my  position  is,  that  the  enemies  of  all  Creeds 
and  Confessions  usually  assume  a  principle, 
which,  if  carried  out  to  its  legitimate  conse- 
quences, would  discourage  all  zeal  in  main- 
taining the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  gospel; 
that  if  all  zeal  in  maintaining  peculiar  doc- 
trines were  laid  aside,  all  ardour  and  diligence 
in  studying  them  would  be  likely  to  be  laid 
aside  also ;  and  that,  if  this  were  the  case,  a 
state  of  things  more  unfriendly  to  the  growth 
and  prevalence  of  Christian  knowledge  could 
scarcely  be  imagined.  Look  at  the  loose, 
vague,  undecisive  character  of  the  preaching 
heard  in  nine-tenths  of  the  Unitarian,  and 
other    latitudinarian    pulpits   in    the   United 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  29 

States,  and,  as  I  suppose,  throughout  Chris- 
tendom. If  the  occupants  of  those  pulpits 
had  it  for  their  distinct  and  main  object  to  ren- 
der their  hearers  indifferent  about  understand- 
ing, and,  of  course,  indifferent  about  studying, 
the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  they 
could  scarcely  adopt  a  plan  more  directly  cal- 
culated to  attain  their  end,  than  that  which 
they  actually  pursue.  Their  incessant  cry  is, 
"  matters  of  opinion  are  between  God  and  a 
man's  own  conscience.  No  one  else  has  a 
right  to  meddle  with  them.''  Hence,  in  pur- 
suance of  this  maxim,  they  do,  indeed,  take 
care  to  meddle  very  little  with  the  distinguish- 
ing doctrines  of  the  gospel.  We  conjecture 
what  their  doctrinal  opinions  are,  in  general, 
not  so  much  from  what  they  say,  as  from  what 
they  do  not  say.  And  the  truth  is,  that  if 
this  character  of  preaching  was  to  become 
universal,  all  discriminating  views  of  gospel- 
truth  would,  in  thirty  years,  be  banished  from 
the  church. 

If  the  friends  of  orthodoxy  and  piety,  then, 
really  desire  to  cherish  and   maintain  a  love 
for  the  discriminating  study  of  Christian  doc- 
trine; a  taste  for  religious  knowledge;  a  spirit 
3* 


30  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

of  zeal  for  the  truth,  in  opposition  to  that 
miserable  indifference  to  articles  of  faith,  which 
is  so  replete  with  mischief  to  every  Christian 
community  in  which  it  is  found;  then  let 
them  be  careful  to  present,  and  diligently  to 
keep  before  the  eyes  of  one  another,  and  the 
eye  of  the  public,  that  "  good  confession" 
which  they  are  commanded  to  "  profess  before 
many  witnesses."  If  they  fail  to  do  this;  if, 
under  the  guise  of  adherence  to  that  great  Pro- 
testant maxim,  that  the  Bible  is  the  only  infal- 
lible rule  of  faith  and  manners, — (a  precious 
all-important  truth;  which,  properly  under- 
stood, cannot  be  too  often  repeated) — they 
speak  and  act  as  if  all  who  profess  to  receive 
the  Bible  were  standing  upon  equally  solid 
and  safe  ground;  if,  in  a  word,  they  consider 
it  as  unnecessary,  and  even  criminal,  to  select 
from  the  mass  of  Scriptural  truth,  and  to  de- 
fend, as  such,  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
gospel; — then,  nothing  short  of  miracle  can 
prevent  them  from  sinking  into  that  coldness 
and  sloth  with  respect  to  the  study  of  doc- 
trine, and  finally  into  that  deplorable  "  lack  of 
knowledge"  by  which  millions  are  constantly 
"  destroyed." 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  31 

5.  It  is  an  argument  of  no  small  weight  in 
favour  of  Creeds,  that  the  experience  of  all 
ages  has  found  them  indispensably  necessary. 

Even  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  when  all 
their  inspiration  and  all  their  miraculous  pow- 
ers, were  insufficient  to  deter  heretics  from 
spreading  their  poison; — men,  calling  them- 
selves Christians,  and  professing  to  preach  the 
religion  of  Christ,  perverted  his  truth,  and 
brought  il  another  gospel,"  whieh  He  had  not 
taught.  In  this  exigency,  how  did  the  churches 
proceed?  An  inspired  apostle  directed  them 
not  to  be  contented  with  a  general  profession 
of  belief  in  the  religion  of  Christ  on  the  part 
of  those  who  came  to  them  as  Christian  teach- 
ers; but  to  examine  and  try  them,  and  to 
ascertain  whether  their  teaching  were  agreeable 
to  the  "  form  of  sound  words"  which  they  had 
been  taught  by  him:  and  he  adds  with  awful 
solemnity — "  If  any  man  bring  any  other  gos- 
pel unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let 
him  be  accursed."  Here  was,  in  effect,  an 
instance,  and  that  by  Divine  warrant,  of  em- 
ploying a  Creed  as  a  test  of  orthodoxy  :  that 
is,  men  making  a  general  profession  of  Chris- 
tianity, are  expressly  directed  by  an  inspired 


32  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

apostle,  to  be  brought  to  the  test,  in  what  sense 
they  understood  that  gospel,  of  which,  in 
general  terms,  they  declared  their  reception  ; 
and  how  they  explained  its  leading  doctrines. 
It  would  seem,  indeed,  that  the  Confession  of 
Faith  then  required  was  very  short  and  sim- 
ple. This,  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the 
times,  and  the  no  less  peculiar  administration 
of  the  Church,  rendered  entirely  sufficient. 
Still,  whether  the  Confession  were  long  or 
short;  whether  it  consisted  of  three  articles  or 
of  thirty,  the  principle  was  the  same. 

In  the  second  century,  in  the  writings  of 
Irenasus;  and,  in  the  third,  in  the  writings  of 
Tertullian,  Origen,  Cyprian,  Gregory  Thau- 
maturgus,  and  Lucian,  the  martyr,  we  find  a 
number  of  Creeds  and  Confessions,  more  for- 
mally drawn  out,  more  minute,  and  more  ex- 
tensive than  those  of  earlier  date.  They  were 
intended  to  bear  testimony  against  the  various 
forms  of  error  which  had  arisen;  and  plainly 
show  that,  as  the  arts  and  corruptions  of  here- 
tics increased,  the  orthodox  church  found  more 
attention  to  the  adoption  and  maintenance  of 
these  formularies  indispensably  necessary. 

Tn  the  fourth  century,  when  the  church  was 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  33 

still  more  agitated  by  the  prevalence  of  heresy, 
there  was  a  still  louder  demand  for  accredited 
tests,  by  which  the  heretics  were  to  be  tried 
and  detected.  Of  this  demand  there  never 
was  a  more  striking  instance  than  in  the  Coun- 
cil of  Nice,  when  the  heresy  of  Arius  was 
under  the  consideration  of  that  far-famed  as- 
sembly. When  the  Council  entered  on  the 
examination  of  the  subject,  it  was  found  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  obtain  from  Arius  any  satis- 
factory explanation  of  his  views.  He  was  not 
only  as  ready  as  the  most  orthodox  divine 
present,  to  profess  that  he  believed  the  Bible ; 
but  he  also  declared  himself  willing  to  adopt, 
as  his  own,  all  the  language  of  the  Scriptures, 
in  detail,  concerning  the  person  and  character 
of  the  blessed  Redeemer.  But  when  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Council  wished  to  ascertain  in  what 
sense  he  understood  this  language,  he  disco- 
vered a  disposition  to  evade  and  equivocate, 
and  actually,  for  a  considerable  time,  baffled 
the  attempts  of  the  most  ingenious  of  the  ortho- 
dox to  specify  his  errors,  and  to  bring  them  to 
light.  He  declared  that  he  was  perfectly  wil- 
ling to  employ  the  popular  language  on  the 
subject  in  controversy;  and  wished  to  have  it 


34  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

believed  that  he  differed  very  little  from  the 
body  of  the  church.  Accordingly  the  orthodox 
went  over  the  various  titles  of  Christ  plainly 
expressive  of  Divinity, — such  as  "  God" — 
"  the  true  God" — the  "  express  image  of  God," 
&c. — to  every  one  of  which  Arius  and  his 
followers  most  readily  subscribed; — claiming 
a  right,  however,  to  put  their  own  construc- 
tion on  the  scriptural  titles  in  question.  After 
employing  much  time  and  ingenuity  in  vain, 
in  endeavouring  to  drag  this  artful  chief  from 
his  lurking  places,  and  to  obtain  from  him  an 
explanation  of  his  views,  the  Council  found 
it  would  be  impossible  to  accomplish  their 
object  as  long  as  they  permitted  him  to  in- 
trench himself  behind  a  mere  general  profes- 
sion of  belief  in  the  Bible.  They  therefore, 
did,  what  common  sense,  as  well  as  the  word 
of  God,  had  taught  the  church  to  do  in  all 
preceding  times,  and  what  alone  can  enable 
her  to  detect  the  artful  advocate  of  error.  They 
expressed,  in  their  own  language,  what  they 
supposed  to  be  the  doctrine  of  Scripture  con- 
cerning the  Divinity  of  the  Saviour;  in  other 
words,  they  drew  up  a  Confession  of  Faith  on 
this  subject,  which  they  called  upon  Arius  and 


OP  CKEEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  35 

his  disciples  to  subscribe.  This  the  heretics 
refused:  and  were  thus  virtually  brought  to 
the  acknowledgment  that  they  did  not  under- 
stand the  Scriptures  as  the  rest  of  the  Council 
understood  them,  and,  of  course,  that  the 
charge  against  them  was  correct. 

The  same  course  was  taken  by  all  the  pious 
witnesses  of  the  truth  in  the  dark  ages,  when, 
amidst  the  surrounding  corruption  and  deso- 
lation, they  found  themselves  called  upon  to 
bear  "  witness  to  the  truth."  They  all  pro- 
fessed their  belief  in  the  Bible,  and  their  love 
to  it;  they  constantly  appealed  to  it,  as  the 
only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice;  and 
they  studied  it  with  incomparably  more  vene- 
ration and  diligence  than  any  of  the  errorists 
around  them.  This  all  history  plainly  evin- 
ces. But  at  the  same  time,  they  saw  the  futi- 
lity of  doing  nothing  more  than  proclaim  in 
general,  their  adherence  to  the  sacred  volume. 
This  would  have  been  no  distinction,  and,  of 
course,  no  testimony  at  all.  It  would  have 
been  nothing  more  than  the  bitterest  enemies 
of  the  truth  were  proclaiming  busily,  and  even 
clamorously,  every  day.  They,  therefore,  did 
what  the  friends  of  orthodoxy  had  been  in  the 


36  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

habit  of  doing  from  the  earliest  ages.  They 
framed  creeds,  from  time  to  time,  as  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  Church  demanded,  by  means  of 
which  they  were  enabled  to  bear  their  testi- 
mony for  God;  to  vindicate  his  truth;  and  to 
transmit  the  memorials  of  their  fidelity  to  dis- 
tant generations.  And  finally,  at  the  glorious 
Reformation  from  Popery,  by  which  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church  may  be  said  again  to  have 
"  set  his  people  free,"  and  the  memory  of 
which  shall  never  die;  in  drawing  the  line 
between  "the  precious  and  the  vile,"  the 
friends  of  truth  followed  the  same  course. 
They,  with  one  accord,  formed  their  Creeds 
and  Confessions,  which  served,  at  once,  as  a 
plea  for  the  truth,  and  a  barrier  against  heresy. 
And  it  is  not,  perhaps,  too  much  to  say,  that 
the  volume  which  contains  the  collection  of 
these  Creeds,  is  one  of  the  most  precious  and 
imperishable  monuments  of  the  piety,  wisdom, 
and  zeal  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

What,  now,  is  the  inference,  from  all  this 
experience  of  the  Church  of  God,  so  universal 
and  so  uniform?  It  cannot  be  misunderstood. 
It  speaks  volumes.  When  the  friends  of  truth 
in  all  ages  and  situations,  even  those  who  were 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  37 

most  tenacious  of  the  rights  of  private  judg- 
ment, and  most  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of 
Christian  liberty,  have  invariably  found  it 
necessary  to  resort  to  the  adoption  of  Creeds, 
in  order  to  ascertain  for  themselves,  as  a  social 
body,  and  to  communicate  to  others,  for  their 
benefit,  their  sense  of  the  holy  scriptures; — 
we  are  naturally  led  to  conclude,  not  only  that 
the  resort  is  neither  so  "  unreasonable"  nor  so 
"  baneful"  as  many  would  persuade  us  to  be- 
lieve; but  that  there  is  really  no  other  practi- 
cable method  of  maintaining  unity  and  purity 
in  the  Church  of  Christ. 

6.  A  further  argument  in  favour  of  Creeds 
and  Confessions,  may  be  drawn  from  the 
remarkable  fact,  that  their  most  zealous  op- 
posers  have  generally  been  latitudinarians  and 
heretics. 

I  do  not  affirm  that  the  use  of  Creeds  has 
never  been  opposed  by  individuals  substantial- 
ly orthodox,  and  even  by  orthodox  churches: 
for  it  is  believed  that  a  few  rare  cases  of  this 
anomaly  have  occurred,  under  the  influence 
of  strong  prejudice,  or  very  peculiar  circum- 
stances. Yet,  so  far  as  I  can  recollect,  we 
have  no  example  of  it  among  the  ancients. 
4 


38  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

Such  cases  are  the  growth  of  very  modern 
times.  Nor,  on  the  other  hand,  is  it  my  pur- 
pose to  deny  that  heretics  have  sometimes 
been  extremely  zealous  in  forming  and  main- 
taining the  most  corrupt  Creeds.  For  of  this 
the  early  history  of  the  Church  abounds  with 
examples,  and  its  later  periods  have  not  been 
wholly  without  them.  But  what  I  venture  to 
assert  is,  that,  as  a  general  fact,  the  most 
ardent  and  noisy  opponents  of  Creeds  have 
been  those  who  held  corrupt  opinions:  that 
none,  calling  themselves  Christians,  have  been 
so  bitter  in  reviling  them,  in  modern  times, 
as  the  friends  of  Unitarianism,  and  those  who 
were  leaning  toward  that  awful  gulf;  and 
that  the  most  consistent  and  zealous  advocates 
of  truth  have  been,  every  where,  and  at  all 
times,  distinguished  by  their  friendship  to 
such  formularies.  Nor  has  this  been  by  any 
means  a  fortuitous  occurrence;  but  precisely 
what  might  have  been  calculated,  on  princi- 
ple, as  likely  to  be  realized.  It  is  an  invaria- 
ble characteristic  of  the  orthodox  that  they 
lay  great  stress  on  the  knowledge  and  recep- 
tion of  truth;  that  they  consider  it  as  neces- 
sary to  holiness;  that  they  deem  an  essential 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  39 

part  of  fidelity  to  their  Master  in  heaven,  to 
consist  in  contending  for  it,  and  maintaining 
it  in  opposition  to  all  the  forms  of  error.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  almost  as  invariable  a  cha- 
racteristic of  modern  heretics,  and  more  espe- 
cially of  those  who  fall  under  the  general 
denomination  of  Unitarians,  that  they  profess 
lightly  to  esteem  modes  of  faith;  that  they 
manifest  a  marked  indifference  to  truth;  that 
they,  for  the  most  part,  maintain,  in  so  many 
words,  the  innocence  of  error;  and  hence  very 
naturally  reprobate,  and  even  vilify,  all  faith- 
ful attempts  to  oppose  heresy,  and  to  separate 
heretics  from  the  Church.  From  those,  then, 
who  have  either  far  departed,  or  at  least  begun 
to  depart,  from  "  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints,"  almost  exclusively,  do  we  hear  of 
the  "  oppression,"  and  the  "  mischief"  of 
Creeds  and  Confessions.  And  is  it  any  mar- 
vel that  those  who  maintain  the  innocence  of 
error,  should  be  unwilling  to  raise  fences  for 
keeping  it  out  of  the  Church?  Is  it  any  mar- 
vel that  the  Arian,  the  Socinian,  the  Pelagian, 
and  such  as  are  verging  toward  those  fatal 
errors,  should  exceedingly  dislike  all  the 
evangelical  formularies,  which  tend  to  make 


40  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

visible  the  line  of  distinction  between  the 
friends  and  the  enemies  of  the  Redeemer? 
No;  "men,"  as  has  been  often  well  observed, 
"men  are  seldom  opposed  to  Creeds,  until 
Creeds  have  become  opposed  to  them."  That 
they  should  dislike  and  oppose  them,  in  these 
circumstances,  is  just  as  natural  as  that  a  cul- 
prit arraigned  before  a  civil  tribunal,  should 
equally  dislike  the  law,  its  officer,  and  its 
sanction. 

Accordingly,  if  we  look  a  little  into  the 
interior  of  Church  history,  especially  within 
the  last  century,  we  shall  find  these  remarks 
often  and  strikingly  exemplified.  We  shall 
find,  with  few  exceptions,  that  whenever  a 
group  of  men  began  to  slide,  with  respect  to 
orthodoxy,  they  generally  attempted  to  break, 
if  not  to  conceal,  their  fall,  by  declaiming 
against  Creeds  and  Confessions.  They  have 
seldom  failed,  indeed,  to  protest  in  the  begin- 
ning, that  they  had  no  objections  to  the  doc- 
trines themselves  of  the  Confession  which 
they  had  subscribed,  but  to  the  principle  of 
subscribing  Confessions  at  all.  Soon,  how- 
ever, was  the  melancholy  fact  gradually  un- 
folded, that  disaffection  to  the  doctrines  which 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  41 

they  once  appeared  to  love,  had  more  influence 
in  directing  their  course,  than  even  they  them- 
selves imagined,  and  that  they  were  receding 
further  and  further  from  the  "  good  way"  in 
which  they  formerly  seemed  to  rejoice.  Truly 
that  cause  is  of  a  most  suspicious  character  to 
which  latitudinarians  and  heretics,  at  least  in 
modern  times,  almost  as  a  matter  of  course, 
yield  their  support;  and  which  they  defend 
with  a  zeal,  in  general,  strictly  proportioned 
to  their  hatred  of  orthodoxy! 

7.  The  only  further  argument  in  support  of 
Creeds  on  which  I  shall  dwell,  is,  that  their 
most  zealous  opposers  do  themselves  virtually 
employ  them  in  all  ecclesiastical  proceedings. 

The  favourite  maxim,  with  the  opposers  of 
Creeds,  that  all  who  acknowledge  the  Bible, 
ought,  without  hesitation,  to  be  received,  not 
only  to  Christian,  but  also  to  ministerial  com- 
munion, is  invariably  abandoned  by  those  who 
urge  it,  the  moment  a  case  turns  up  which 
really  brings  it  to  the  test.  Did  any  one  ever 
hear  of  a  Unitarian  congregation  engaging  as 
their  pastor  a  preacher  of  Calvinism,  knowing 
him  to  be  such  ?  But  why  not,  on  the  princi- 
ple adopted,  or  at  least  professed,  by  Unita- 


42  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

rians?  The  Calvinist  surely  comes  with  his 
Bible  in  his  hand,  and  professes  to  believe  it 
as  cordially  as  they.  Why  is  not  that  enough  ? 
Yet  we  know  that,  in  fact,  it  is  not  enough  for 
these  advocates  of  unbounded  liberality.  Be- 
fore they  will  consent  to  receive  him  as  their 
spiritual  guide,  they  must  be  explicitly  in- 
formed, how  he  interprets  the  Bible;  in  other 
words,  what  is  his  particular  Creed;  whether 
it  is  substantially  the  same  with  their  own  or 
not:  and  if  they  are  not  satisfied  that  this  is 
the  case,  all  other  professions  and  protestations 
will  be  in  vain.  He  will  be  inexorably  re- 
jected. Here,  then,  we  have,  in  all  its  extent, 
the  principle  of  demanding  subscription  to  a 
Creed;  and  a  principle  carried  out  into  prac- 
tice as  rigorously  as  ever  it  was  by  the  most 
high-toned  advocate  of  orthodoxy. 

We  have  before  seen,  that  the  friends  of 
truth,  in  all  ages,  have  found,  in  their  sad 
experience,  that  a  general  profession  of  belief 
in  the  Bible,  was  altogether  insufficient,  either 
as  a  bond  of  union,  or  as  a  fence  against  the 
inroads  of  error.  And  here  we  find  the 
warmest  advocates  of  a  contrary  doctrine,  and 
with    a   contrary    language  in    their  mouths, 


OP  CREEPS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  43 

when  they  come  to  act,  pursuing  precisely  the 
same  course  with  the  friends  of  Creeds,  with 
only  this  difference,  that  the  Creed  which  they 
apply  as  a  test,  instead  of  being  a  written  and 
tangible  document,  is  hidden  in  the  bosoms  of 
those  who  expound  and  employ  it,  and,  of 
course,  may  be  applied  in  the  most  capricious 
as  well  as  tyrannical  manner,  without  appeal ; 
and  further,  that,  while  they  really  act  upon 
this  principle,  they  disavow  it,  and  would  per- 
suade the  world  that  they  proceed  upon  an 
entirely  different  plan. 

Can  there  be  a  more  conclusive  fact  than 
this  ?  The  enemies  of  Creeds  themselves  can- 
not get  along  a  day  without  them.  It  is  in 
vain  to  say,  that  in  their  case  no  Creed  is 
imposed,  but  that  all  is  voluntary,  and  left 
entirely  to  the  choice  of  the  parties  concerned. 
It  will  be  seen  hereafter  that  the  same  may  be 
with  equal  truth  asserted,  in  all  those  cases  of 
subscription  to  articles,  for  which  I  contend, 
without  any  exception.  No  less  vain  is  it  to 
say,  again,  that  in  their  case  the  articles  insisted 
on  are  few  and  simple,  and  by  no  means  so 
liable  to  exception  as  the  long  and  detailed 
Creeds  which   some  churches  have  adopted, 


44  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

It  is  the  principle  of  subscription  to  Creeds 
which  is  now  under  consideration.  If  the 
lawfulness  and  even  the  necessity  of  acting 
upon  this  principle  can  be  established,  our 
cause  is  gained.  The  extent  to  which  we 
ought  to  go  in  multiplying  articles,  is  a  secon- 
dary question,  the  answer  to  which  must 
depend  on  the  exigencies  of  the  church 
framing  the  Creed.  Now  the  adversaries  of 
Creeds,  while  they  totally  reject  the  expedi- 
ency, and  even  the  lawfulness,  of  the  general 
principle,  yet  show  that  they  cannot  proceed 
a  step  without  adopting  it  in  practice.  This 
is  enough.  Their  conduct  is  sounder  than 
their  reasoning.  And  no  wonder.  Their 
conduct  is  dictated  by  good  sense  and  prac- 
tical experience,  nay,  imposed  upon  them  by 
the  evident  necessity  of  the  case:  while  their 
reasoning  is  a  theory,  derived,  as  I  must 
believe,  from  a  source  far  less  enlightened,  and 
less  safe. 

Several  other  arguments  might  be  urged  in 
favour  of  written  Creeds,  did  not  the  limits  to 
which  I  am  confined  in  this  Lecture,  forbid 
me  further  to  enlarge. 

It  were   easy  to  show  that  Confessions  of 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  45 

Faith,  judiciously  drawn,  and  solemnly  adopt- 
ed by  particular  churches,  are  not  only  invalu- 
able as  bonds  of  union,  and  fences  against 
error;  but  that  they  also  serve  an  important 
purpose,  as  accredited  manuals  of  Christian 
doctrine,  well  fitted  for  the  instruction  of 
those  private  members  of  churches,  who  have 
neither  leisure  nor  habits  of  thinking  suffi- 
ciently close,  to  draw  from  the  sacred  writings 
themselves  a  consistent  system  of  truth.  It  is 
of  incalculable  use  to  the  individual  who  has 
but  little  time  for  reading,  and  but  little  ac- 
quaintance with  books,  to  be  furnished  with  a 
clear  and  well  arranged  compend  of  doctrine, 
which  he  is  authorized  to  regard,  not  as  the 
work  of  a  single,  enlightened,  and  pious  di- 
vine; but  as  drawn  out  and  adopted  by  the 
collected  wisdom  of  the  Church  to  which  he 
belongs.  There  is  often  a  satisfaction,  to 
plain,  unsophisticated  mind,  not  to  be  descri- 
bed, in  going  over  such  a  compend,  article  by 
article;  examining  the  proofs  adduced  from 
the  word  of  God  in  support  of  each;  and 
"searching  the  Scriptures  daily  to  see  whe- 
ther the  things  which  it  teaches  are  so  or 
not." 


46  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

It  might  also  be  further  shown,  that  sound 
and  scriptural  Confessions  of  Faith,  are  of 
great  value  for  transmitting  to  posterity  a 
knowledge  of  what  is  done  by  the  Church,  at 
particular  times,  in  behalf  of  the  truth.  Every 
such  Confession  that  is  formed  or  adopted  by 
the  followers  of  Christ  in  one  age,  is  a  pre- 
cious legacy  transmitted  to  their  children,  and 
to  all  that  may  come  after  them,  in  a  succeed- 
ing age,  not  only  bearing  their  testimony  in 
support  of  the  true  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ, 
but  also  pouring  more  or  less  light  on  those 
doctrines,  for  the  instruction  of  all  to  whom 
that  testimony  may  come. 

But  while  we  attend  to  the  principal  argu- 
ments in  favour  of  written  Creeds,  justice  to 
the  subject  requires  that  we 

II.  Examine  some  of  the  principal  objec- 
tions which  have  been  made  to  Creeds  by 
their  adversaries. 

1.  And  the  first  which  I  shall  mention  is, 
that  forming  a  Creed,  and  requiring  subscrip- 
tion to  it  as  a  religious  test,  is  superseding  the 
Bible,  and  making  a  human  composition  in- 
stead of  it  a  standard  of  faith.     "  The  Bible," 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  47 

say  those  who  urge  this  objection,  "is  the  only 
infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  It  is  so 
complete,  that  it  needs  no  human  addition, 
and  so  easily  understood,  that  it  requires  no 
human  explanation.  Why,  then,  should  we 
desire  any  other  ecclesiastical  standard  ?  Why 
subscribe  ourselves,  or  call  upon  others  to  sub- 
scribe, any  other  Creed  than  this  plain,  in- 
spired, and  perfect  one?  Every  time  we  do 
this  we  offer  a  public  indignity  to  the  sacred 
volume,  as  we  virtually  declare,  either  that  it 
is  not  infallible,  or  not  sufficient." 

This  objection  is  the  most  specious  one  in 
the  whole  catalogue.  And  although  it  is  be- 
lieved that  a  sufficient  answer  has  been  fur- 
nished by  some  principles  already  laid  down; 
yet  the  confidence  with  which  it  is  every  day 
repeated,  renders  a  formal  attention  to  it  ex- 
pedient; more  especially  as  it  bears,  at  first 
view,  so  much  the  appearance  of  peculiar  vene- 
ration for  the  Scriptures,  that  many  are  capti- 
vated by  its  plausible  aspect,  and  consider  it  as 
decisive. 

The  whole  argument  which  this  objection 
presents,  is  founded  on  a  false  assumption. 
No  Protestant  ever  professed   to  regard   his 


48  UTILITY    AND    IMPORTANCE 

Creed,  considered  as  a  human  composition,  as 
of  equal  authority  with  the  Scriptures,  and  far 
less  of  paramount  authority.  Every  principle 
of  this  kind  is,  with  one  voice,  disclaimed,  by 
all  the  Creeds,  and  defences  of  Creeds,  that  I 
have  ever  read.  And  whether,  notwithstand- 
ing this,  the  constant  repetition  of  the  charge, 
ought  to  be  considered  as  fair  argument,  or 
gross  calumny,  the  impartial  will  judge.  A 
church  Creed  professes  to  be,  as  was  before 
observed,  merely  an  epitome,  or  summary  ex- 
hibition of  what  the  Scriptures  teach.  It  pro- 
fesses to  be  deduced  from  the  Scriptures,  and 
to  refer  to  the  Scriptures  for  the  whole  of  its 
authority.  Of  course,  when  any  one  subscribes 
it,  he  is  so  .far  from  dishonouring  the  Bible, 
that  he  does  public  homage  to  it.  He  simply 
declares,  by  a  solemn  act,  how  he  understands 
the  Bible;  in  other  words,  what  doctrines  he 
considers  it  as  containing.  In  short,  the  lan- 
guage of  an  orthodox  believer,  in  subscribing 
his  ecclesiastical  Creed,  is  simply  of  the  fol- 
lowing import: — "While  the  Socinian  pro- 
fesses to  believe  the  Bible,  and  to  understand 
it  as  teaching  the  mere  humanity  of  Christ: — 
while  the  Arian  professes  to  receive  the  same 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  49 

Bible,  and  to  find  in  it  the  Saviour  represented 
as  the  most  exalted  of  all  creatures,  but  still  a 
creature: — While  the  Pelagian  and  Semi-Pela- 
gian make  a  similar  profession  of  their  general 
belief  in  the  Scriptures,  and  interpret  them  as 
teaching  a  doctrine,  far  more  favourable  to 
human  nature,  and  far  less  honourable  to  the 
grace  of  God,  than  they  appear  to  me  really  to 
teach; — I  beg  the  privilege  of  declaring,  for 
myself,  that,  while  I  believe,  with  all  my  heart, 
that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God,  the  only 
perfect  rule  of  faith  and  manners,  and  the  only 
ultimate  test  in  all  controversies — it  plainly 
teaches,  as  I  read  and  believe — the  deplorable 
and  total  depravity  of  human  nature — the  essen- 
tial divinity  of  the  Saviour — a  Trinity  of  per- 
sons in  the  Godhead — justification  by  the  im- 
puted righteousness  of  Christ — and  regenera- 
tion and  sanctification  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
indispensable  to  prepare  the  soul  for  heaven. 
These  I  believe  to  be  the  radical  truths  which 
God  hath  revealed  in  his  word;  and  while 
they  are  denied  by  some,  and  frittered  away 
or  perverted  by  others,  who  profess  to  believe 
that  blessed  word,  I  am  verily  persuaded  they 


50  UTILITY    AND    IMPORTANCE 

are  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  plan  of 
salvation." 

Now,  I  ask,  is  there  in  all  this  language,  any- 
thing dishonourable  to  the  Bible?  Any  thing 
that  tends  to  supersede  its  authority;  or  to 
introduce  a  rule,  or  a  tribunal  of  paramount 
authority?  Is  there  not,  on  the  contrary,  in 
the  whole  language  and  spirit  of  such  a  decla- 
ration, an  acknowledgment  of  God's  word  as 
of  ultimate  and  supreme  authority;  and  an  ex- 
pression of  belief  in  certain  doctrines,  simply 
and  only  because  they  are  believed  to  be  re- 
vealed in  that  word?  Truly,  if  this  be  dis- 
honouring the  Scriptures,  or  setting  up  a  stand- 
ard above  them,  there  is  an  end  of  all  meaning; 
either  of  words  or  actions. 

But  still  it  is  asked — "  Where  is  the  need  of 
any  definitive  declaration  of  what  we  under- 
stand the  Scriptures  to  teach?  Are  they  not 
intelligible  enough  in  themselves?  Can  we 
make  them  plainer  than  their  Author  has 
done?  Why  hold  a  candle  to  the  sun?  Why 
make  an  attempt  to  frame  a  more  explicit  test 
than  He  who  gave  the  Bible  has  thought  pro- 
per to  frame: — an  attempt,  as  vain  as  it  is 
presumptuous?"     To  this  pica  it  is  sufficient 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  51 

to  answer,  that,  although  the  Scriptures  are 
undoubtedly  simple  and  plain;  so  plain  that 
"he  who  runs  may  read;"  yet  it  is  equally 
certain  that  thousands  do,  in  fact,  mistake  and 
misinterpret  them.  This  cannot  possibly  be 
denied;  because  thousands  interpret  them,  and 
that  on  points  confessedly  fundamental,  not 
only  in  different,  but  in  directly  opposite 
ways.  Of  course  all  cannot  be  equally  right. 
Can  it  be  wrong,  then,  for  a  pious  and  ortho- 
dox man — or  for  a  pious  church,  to  exhibit, 
and  endeavour  to  recommend  to  others,  their 
mode  of  interpreting  the  sacred  volume?  As 
the  world  is  acknowledged,  on  all  hands,  to 
be,  in  fact,  full  of  mistake  and  error  as  to  the 
true  meaning  of  Holy  Scriptures,  can  it  be 
thought  a  superfluous  task  for  those  who  have 
more  light,  and  more  correct  opinions,  to  hold 
them  up  to  view,  as  a  testimony  to  the  truth, 
and  as  a  guide  to  such  as  may  be  in  error? 
Surely  it  cannot.  Yet  this  is  neither  more  nor 
less  than  precisely  that  formation  and  mainte- 
nance of  a  scriptural  Confession  of  Faith  for 
which  I  am  pleading. 

Still,  however,  it  may  be  asked,  what  right 
has  any  man,  or  set  of  men  to  interpose  their 


52  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

authority,  and  undertake  to  deal  out  the  sense 
of  Scripture  for  others?  Is  it  not  hoth  impious 
in  itself,  and  an  improper  assumption  over  the 
minds  of  our  fellow  men?  I  answer,  this 
reasoning  would  prove  too  much,  and  there- 
fore proves  nothing.  For,  if  admitted,  it 
would  prove  that  all  preaching  of  the  gospel 
is  presumptuous  and  criminal;  because  preach- 
ing always  consists  in  explaining  and  enfor- 
cing Scripture,  and  that,  for  the  most  part,  in 
the  words  of  the  preacher  himself.  Indeed, 
if  the  objection  before  us  were  valid,  it  would 
prove  that  all  the  pious  writings  of  the  most 
eminent  divines,  in  all  ages,  who  have  had  for 
their  object  to  elucidate  and  apply  the  word  of 
God,  were  profane  and  arrogant  attempts  to 
mend  his  revelation,  and  make  it  better  fitted 
than  it  is  to  promote  its  great  design.  Nay, 
further;  upon  the  principle  of  this  objection, 
it  not  only  follows,  that  no  minister  of  the 
gospel  ought  ever  do  more  in  the  pulpit  than 
simply  to  read  or  repeat  the  very  words  of 
Scripture;  but  it  is  equally  evident,  that  he 
must  read  or  repeat  Scripture  to  his  hearers, 
only  in  the  languages  in  which  they  were 
given  to  the  Church.     For,  as  has  been  often 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  53 

observed,  it  cannot  be  said,  that  the  words  of 
any  translation  of  the  Bible  are  the  very  words 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  are  only  the  words 
which  uninspired  men  have  chosen,  in  which 
to  express,  as  nearly  as  they  were  able,  the 
sense  of  the  original.  If,  therefore,  the  objec- 
tion before  us  be  admitted,  no  man  is  at  liberty 
to  teach  the  great  truths  of  revelation  in  any 
other  way  than  by  literally  repeating  the  He- 
brew text  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the 
Greek  of  the  New,  in  the  hearing  of  the  peo- 
ple. So  extreme  is  the  absurdity  to  which  an 
erroneous  principle  will  not  fail  to  lead  those 
who  are  weak  enough,  or  bold  enough,  to  fol- 
low it  to  its  legitimate  consequences! 

But,  after  all,  what  language  do  facts  speak 
on  this  subject?  Are  those  individuals  or 
churches,  who  have  been  most  distinguished 
for  their  attachment  and  adherence  to  creeds, 
more  regardless  of  the  Bible  than  other  pro- 
fessing Christians?  Do  they  appear  to  esteem 
the  Bible  less?  Do  they  read  it  less?  Do 
they  appeal  to  it  less  frequently,  as  their 
grand  and  ultimate  authority?  Do  they  quote 
it  more  rarely,  or  with  less  respect  in  their 
preaching?  Where  they  once  refer  to  their 
5* 


54  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

Creeds  or  Catechisms,  for  either  authority  or 
illustration,  in  the  pulpit,  do  they  not,  noto- 
riously, refer  to  the  Bible  a  thousand  times? 
Do  they  take  less  pains  than  others  to  impress 
the  contents  of  the  sacred  volume  on  the 
minds  of  their  children,  and  to  hold  it  forth  as 
the  unceasing  object  of  study  to  all?  Look  at 
the  reformed  churches  of  Scotland  and  Hol- 
land, of  France  and  Geneva,  in  their  best 
state,  when  their  Confessions  of  Faith  were 
most  venerated,  and  had  most  power;  and 
then  say,  whether  any  churches,  since  the 
days  of  the  apostles,  ever  discovered  more 
reverence  for  the  Scriptures,  or  treated  them 
with  more  devout  regard,  as  the  only  perfect 
standard  of  faith  and  practice,  than  they? 
Nay,  am  I  not  warranted  in  making  a  similar 
appeal  with  respect  to  those  churches  in  our 
land,  which  have  been  most  distinguished  for 
their  attachment  to  creeds?  Are  not  their 
ministers,  in  general,  quite  as  remarkable  for 
very  rarely  quoting  their  own  ecclesiastical 
formularies,  for  either  proof  or  illustration,  as 
they  are  for  their  constant  and  abundant  quo- 
tations from  Scripture  for  both  purposes? 
Can  the  same  incessant  and  devout  recurrence 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  55 

to  the  sacred  oracles  be  ascribed  with  equal 
truth  to  the  great  body  of  the  opposers  of 
Creeds,  in  ancient  or  modern  times  ?  I  will 
not  press  this  comparison  into  further  detail; 
but  have  no  apprehension  that  even  the  bitter- 
est enemy  of  Creeds,  who  has  a  tolerable  ac- 
quaintance with  facts,  and  the  smallest  portion 
of  candour,  will  venture  to  say  that  the  result 
fairly  deduced,  is  in  favour  of  his  cause. 

2.  Another  objection  frequently  made  to 
church  Creeds  is,  that  they  interfere  with  the 
rights  of  conscience,  and  naturally  lead  to  op- 
pression. "  What  right,"  say  those  who  urge 
this  objection,  "  has  any  church,  or  body  of 
churches,  to  impose  a  Creed  on  me,  or  dictate 
to  me  what  I  shall  believe  ?  To  attempt  such 
dictation  is  tyranny;  to  submit  to  it,  is  to  sur- 
render the  right  of  private  judgment." 

There  would  be  some  ground  for  this  objec- 
tion, if  a  Creed  were,  in  any  case,  imposed  by 
the  civil  government,  or  by  an  established 
Church;  if  any  were  obliged  to  receive  it,  un- 
der heavy  pains  and  disabilities,  whether  they 
approved  it  or  not.  But  as  such  a  case  does 
not,  and,  happily,  cannot  exist  in  our  favoured 
country,  the  objection  is  surely  as  illegitimate 


56  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

in  reasoning,  as  it  is  false  in  fact.  One  is 
tempted  to  suspect  that  those  who  urge  such 
an  objection  among  us,  have  found  it  manufac- 
tured to  their  hands,  by  persons  living  under 
civil  governments  and  ecclesiastical  establish- 
ments of  an  oppressive  character;  and  view- 
ing it  as  a  weapon  which  might  be  wielded 
with  much  popular  effect,  they  have  taken  it 
into  their  service,  and  thenceforward  refused 
to  abandon  it;  though  proved  a  thousand  times 
to  have  no  more  application  to  any  Creed  or 
church  in  the  United  States,  than  to  the  in- 
habitants of  another  planet. 

It  will  not,  surely,  be  denied  by  any  one, 
that  a  body  of  Christians  have  a  right,  in 
every  free  country,  to  associate  and  walk  to- 
gether upon  such  principles  as  they  may 
choose  to  agree  upon,  not  inconsistent  with 
public  order.  They  have  a  right  to  agree  and 
declare  how  they  understand  the  Scriptures; 
what  articles  found  in  Scripture  they  concur 
in  considering  as  fundamental;  and  in  what 
manner  they  will  have  their  public  preaching 
and  polity  conducted,  for  the  edification  of 
themselves  and  their  children.  They  have  no 
right,  indeed,  to  decide  or  to  judge  for  others. 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  57 

nor  can  they  compel  any  man  to  join  them. 
But  it  is  surely  their  privilege  to  judge  for 
themselves;  to   agree  upon  the  plan  of  their 
own    association;   to    determine    upon    what 
principles   they  will  receive    other  members 
into  their  brotherhood ;  and  to  form  a  set  of 
rules  which   will   exclude   from   their  body 
those  with  whom  they  cannot  walk  in  har- 
mony.    The   question   is,  not  whether  they 
make  in  all  cases,  a  wise  and  scriptural  use  of 
this  right  to  follow  the  dictates  of  conscience, 
but   whether  they   possess  the   right  at   all? 
They   are,   indeed,    accountable  for  the   use 
which  they  make  of  it,  and  solemnly  account- 
able, to  their  Master  in  heaven;  but  to  man 
they  surely  cannot,  and  ought  not,  to  be  com- 
pelled to  give  any  account.     It  is  their  own 
eoncern.     Their  fellow-men  have  nothing  to 
do  with  it,  as  long  as  they  commit  no  offence 
against  the  public  peace.  To  decide  otherwise, 
would  indeed  be  an  outrage  on  the  right  of 
private  judgment.     If  the  principles  of  civil 
and  religious   liberty,  generally  prevalent  in 
our  happy  country,  be  correct,  demonstration 
itself  cannot  be  more   incontrovertible  than 
these  positions. 


58  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

But  if  a  body  of  professing  Christians  have 
a  natural  right  thus  to  associate,  to  extract 
their  own  Creed  from  the  Scriptures,  and  to 
agree  upon  the  principles  by  which  others 
may  afterwards  be  admitted  into  their  num- 
ber; is  it  not  equally  manifest  that  they  have 
the  same  right  to  refuse  admittance  to  those 
with  whom,  they  believe,  they  cannot  be  com- 
fortably connected? 

Let  us  suppose  a  church  to  be  actually  asso- 
ciated upon  the  principle  laid  down;  its  Creed 
and  other  articles  adopted,  and  published  for 
the  information  of  all  who  may  wish  to  be  in- 
formed; and  its  members  walking  together  in 
harmony  and  love.  Suppose,  while  things  are 
in  this  situation,  a  person  comes  to  them,  and 
addresses  them  thus:  "I  demand  admittance 
into  your  body,  though  I  can  neither  believe 
the  doctrines  which  you  profess  to  embrace, 
nor  consent  to  be  governed  by  the  rules 
which  you  have  agreed  to  adopt."  What  an- 
swer would  they  be  apt  to  give  him?  They 
would  certainly  reply  :  "Your  demand  is  very 
unreasonable.  Our  union  is  a  voluntary  one, 
for  our  mutual  spiritual  benefit.  We  have  not 
solicited  you  to  join  us;  and  you  cannot  pos- 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  59 

sibly  have  a  right  to  force  yourself  into  our 
body.  The  whole  world  is  before  you.  Go 
where  you  please.  We  cannot  agree  to  receive 
you,  unless  you  are  willing  to  walk  with  us 
upon  our  own  principles."  Such  an  answer 
would  undoubtedly  be  deemed  a  proper  one 
by  every  reasonable  person.  Suppose,  how- 
ever, this  applicant  were  still  to  urge  his  de- 
mand; to  claim  admission  as  a  right;  and, 
upon  being  finally  refused,  to  complain,  that 
the  society  had  "persecuted"  and  "injured" 
him?  Would  anyone  think  him  possessed  of 
common  sense?  Nay,  would  not  the  society 
in  question,  if  they  could  be  compelled  to  re- 
ceive such  an  applicant,  instead  of  being  op- 
pressors of  others,  cease  to  be  free  themselves? 
The  same  principle  would  still  more  strong- 
ly apply,  in  case  of  a  clergyman  offering  him- 
self to  such  a  church,  as  a  candidate  for  the 
station  of  pastor  among  them.  Suppose,  when 
he  appeared  to  make  a  tender  of  his  services, 
they  were  to  present  him  with  a  copy  of  that 
Creed,  and  of  that  form  of  government  and  of 
worship  which  they  had  unanimously  adopted, 
and  to  say — "  This  is  what  we  believe.  We 
pretend  not  to  prescribe  to  others;  '  but  so  we 


60  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

have  learned  Christ;'  so  we  understand  the 
Scriptures;  and  thus  we  wish  ourselves,  our 
children,  and  all  who  look  up  to  us  for  guid- 
ance, to  be  instructed.  Can  you  subscribe  to 
these  formularies?  Are  you  willing  to  come 
among  us  upon  these  principles,  and,  as  our 
pastor,  thus  to  break  to  us,  and  our  little  ones, 
what  we  deem  '  the  bread  of  life?'  "  Could 
the  candidate  complain  of  such  a  demand? 
Many  speak  as  if  the  church,  in  putting  him 
to  this  test,  undertook  to  "judge  for  him." 
But  nothing  can  be  more  remote  from  the 
truth.  They  only  undertake  to  judge  for 
themselves.  If  the  candidate  cannot,  or  will 
not,  accept  of  the  test,  he  will  be,  of  course, 
rejected.  But,  in  this  case,  no  judgment  is 
passed  on  his  state  toward  God;  no  ecclesias- 
tical censure,  not  even  the  smallest,  is  inflicted 
upon  him.  The  church  only  claim  a  right  to 
be  served  in  the  ministerial  office  by  a  man 
who  is  of  the  same  religion  with  themselves. 
And  is  this  an  unreasonable  demand?  Are 
not  the  rights  of  conscience  reciprocal?  Or 
do  they  demand,  that  while  a  church  shall  be 
prohibited  from  "  oppressing"  an  individual, 
an  individual  shall  be  allowed  to  "  oppress"  a 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  61 

church?     Surely   it   cannot   be   necessary   to 
wait  for  an  answer. 

Accordingly,  the  transactions  of  secular  life, 
furnish  every  day  a  practical  refutation  of  the 
objection  which  I  am  now  considering.  Does 
the  head  of  a  family,  when  a  person  applies  to 
be  received  as  a  resident  under  his  roof,  ever 
doubt  that  he  has  a  right  to  inquire  whether 
the  applicant  be  willing  to  conform  to  the 
rules  of  his  family  or  not;  and  if  he  decline 
this  conformity,  to  refuse  him  admission  ? 
And  even  after  he  has  been  received  and 
tried,  for  a  while,  if  he  prove  an  uncomfor- 
table inmate,  does  not  every  one  consider  the 
master  of  the  family  as  at  liberty  to  exclude 
him?  Has  not  every  parent,  and,  of  course, 
every  voluntary  association  of  parents,  an  ac- 
knowledged right  to  determine  what  qualifi- 
cations they  will  require  in  a  preceptor  for 
their  children;  and,  if  so,  to  bring  all  candi- 
dates to  the  test  agreed  on,  and  to  reject  those 
who  do  not  corrrespond  with  it?  And  if  a 
candidate  who  fell  totally  short  of  the  qualifi- 
cations required,  and  who,  of  course,  was  re- 
jected, should  make  a  great  outcry,  that  he 
was  "  wantonly"  and  "  tyrannically"  depriv- 
6 


62  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

cd  of  the  place  to  which  he  aspired,  would 
not  every  one  think  him  insane,  or  worse 
than  insane  ?  The  same  principle  applies  to 
every  voluntary  association,  for  moral,  lite- 
rary, or  other  lawful  purposes.  If  the  mem- 
bers have  not  a  right  to  agree  on  what  princi- 
ples they  will  associate,  and  to  refuse  mem- 
bership to  those  who  are  known  to  be  entirely 
hostile  to  the  great  object  of  the  association, 
there  is  an  end  of  all  liberty.  Of  the  self- 
evident  truth  of  all  this,  no  one  doubts.  But 
where  is  the  essential  difference  between  any 
one  of  these  rights,  and  the  right  of  any  com- 
munity of  professing  Christians  to  agree  upon 
what  they  deem  the  scriptural  principles  of 
their  own  union:  and  to  refuse  admission  into 
their  body  of  those  whom  they  consider  as 
unfriendly  to  the  great  purposes  of  truth  and 
edification,  for  the  promotion  of  which  they 
associated?  To  deny  them  this  right,  would 
be  to  make  them  slaves  indeed! 

It  will  probably,  however,  be  alleged,  that 
a  church  cannot,  properly  speaking,  be  con- 
sidered as  a  voluntary  association;  that  it  is 
a  community  instituted  by  the  authority  of 
Christ;  that  its  laws  are  given  by  Him,  as  its 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  63 

sovereign  Head  and  Lord;  and  that  its  rulers 
are  in  fact  only  stewards,  bound  to  conform 
themselves  in  all  that  they  do  to  his  will;  that, 
if  the  church  were  their  own,  they  would 
have  a  right  to  shut  out  from  it  whom  they 
pleased;  but  as  it  is  Christ's,  they  must  find 
some  other  rule  of  proceeding  than  their  own 
volitions.  This  is,  doubtless,  all  true.  The 
church  of  Christ  certainly  cannot  be  regarded 
as  a  mere  voluntary  association,  in  the  same 
sense  in  which  many  other  societies  are  so 
called.  It  is  the  property  of  Christ.  His 
will  is  the  basis  and  the  law  of  its  establish- 
ment, and,  of  course,  none  can  be  either  ad- 
mitted or  excluded  but  upon  principles  which 
his  own  word  prescribes.  This,  however,  it 
is  conceived,  does  not  alter  "  one  jot  or  tittle," 
the  spirit  of  the  foregoing  reasoning.  The 
union  of  Christians  in  a  church  state,  must, 
still,  from  the  nature  of  things,  be  a  voluntary 
act;  for  if  it  were  not  so,  it  would  not  be  a 
moral  act  at  all.  But  if  the  union  be  volun- 
tary, then  those  who  form  it,  must  certainly 
be  supposed  to  have  a  right  to  follow  their 
own  convictions  as  to  what  their  Divine  Mas- 
ter has  revealed  and  enjoined  respecting  the 


64  UTILITY    AND    IMPORTANCE 

laws  of  their  union.  If  they  are  not  to  judge 
in  this  matter,  who,  I  ask,  is  to  judge  for 
them  ?  Has  the  Head  of  the  Church,  then, 
prescribed  any  qualifications  as  necessary  for 
private  membership,  or  for  admission  to  the 
ministerial  office,  in  his  church  ?  If  so,  what 
are  they  ?  Will  any  degree  of  departure  from 
the  purity  of  faith  or  practice,  be  sufficient  to 
exclude  a  man  ?  If  it  will,  to  whom  has  our 
Lord  committed  the  task  of  applying  his  law, 
and  judging  in  any  particular  case?  to  the 
applicants  or  delinquents  themselves;  or  to 
the  church  in  which  membership  is  desired? 
If  to  the  latter,  on  what  principle  is  she  bound 
to  proceed  ?  As  her  members  have  voluntarily 
associated  for  their  mutual  instruction  and  edi- 
fication in  spiritual  things,  have  they  not  a 
right  to  be  satisfied  that  the  individual  who 
applies  to  be  received  among  them,  either  as  a 
private  member  or  minister,  entertains  opin- 
ions, and  bears  a  character,  which  will  be  con- 
sistent with  the  great  object  which  they  seek? 
Can  any  such  individual  reasonably  refuse  to 
satisfy  them  as  to  the  accordance  of  his  reli- 
gious sentiments  with  theirs,  if  they  think  that 
both  the  law  of  Christ,  and  the  nature  of  the 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  65 

case,  render  such  accordance  necessary  to 
Christian  fellowship  ?  If  he  could  not  reason- 
ably refuse  to  give  satisfaction  verbally  on  this 
subject;  could  he,  with  any  more  reason,  re- 
fuse to  state  his  own  sentiments  in  writing, 
and  subscribe  his  name  to  that  written  state- 
ment ?  Surely  to  decline  this  while  he  con- 
sented to  give  a  verbal  exhibition  of  his  Creed, 
would  wear  the  appearance  of  singular  caprice 
or  perverseness.  But  if  no  rational  objection 
could  be  made  to  his  subscribing  a  declaration, 
drawn  up  with  his  own  hand,  would  it  not  be 
exactly  the  same  thing,  as  to  the  spirit  of  the 
transaction,  if,  with  a  view,  simply,  to  ascer- 
tain the  fact  of  his  belief,  not  to  dictate  laws 
to  his  conscience,  a  statement,  previously 
drawn  up  by  the  church  herself,  should  be 
presented  for  his  voluntary  signature  ?  What 
is  required  of  an  individual  in  such  case  is,  not 
that  he  shall  believe  what  the  church  believes; 
but  simply  that  he  shall  declare,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  whether  he  does  possess  that  belief,  which, 
from  his  voluntary  application  to  be  received 
into  Christian  fellowship  with  that  church,  he 
may  be  fairly  presumed  to  possess.  Again,  I 
ask,  is  it  possible  to  deny  a  church  this  right, 
6* 


66  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

without  striking  at  the  root  of  all  that  is  sacred 
in  the  convictions  of  conscience,  and  of  all  that 
is  precious  in  the  enjoyment  of  Christian  com- 
munion ?  I  fully  grant,  indeed,  that,  as  her 
authority  rests  entirely  on  the  declared  will  of 
Christ,  she  has  no  right,  in  the  sight  of  God, 
to  propose  to  a  candidate,  any  other  than  a 
sound  orthodox  Creed.  She  cannot  possibly 
be  considered  as  having  a  right,  on  this  prin- 
ciple, to  require  his  assent  to  anti-scriptural 
principles.  Still,  however,  as  the  rights  of 
conscience  are  unalienable;  and  as  every 
church  must  be  considered,  of  course,  as  verily 
believing  that  she  is  acting  according  to  her 
Master's  will,  we  must  concede  to  her  the 
plenary  right,  in  the  sight  of  man,  to  require 
from  those  who  would  join  her,  a  solemn 
assent  to  her  formularies. 

But  perhaps,  it  will  be  asked,  when  a  man 
has  already  become  a  member,  or  minister  of 
a  church,  in  virtue  of  a  voluntary  and  honest 
subscription  to  her  articles,  and  afterwards 
alters  his  mind; — if  he  be  excluded  from  her 
communion  as  a  private  member,  or  deposed 
from  office  as  a  minister,  is  not  here  "  oppres- 
sion?" Is  it  not  inflicting  on  a  man  a  "  heavy 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  67 

penalty"  for  his  " opinions;"'  "punishing" 
him  for*  his  "  sincere,  conscientious  convic- 
tions ?"  I  answer,  if  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has 
not  only  authorized,  but  solemnly  commanded 
his  church  to  cast  the  heretical,  as  well  as 
immoral,  out  of  her  communion,  and  wholly 
to  withdraw  her  countenance  from  those  who 
preach  "another  gospel;" — then  it  is  manifest, 
that  the  church  in  acting  on  this  authority, 
does  no  one  any  injury.  In  excluding  a  pri- 
vate member  from  the  communion  of  a  church, 
or  deposing  a  minister  from  office,  in  the  regu- 
lar and  scriptural  exercise  of  discipline,  she 
deprives  neither  of  any  natural  right.  It  is 
only  withdrawing  that  which  was  voluntarily 
asked,  and  voluntarily  bestowed,  and  which 
might  have  been,  without  injustice,  withheld. 
It  is  only  practically  saying — "  You  can  no 
longer,  consistently  with  our  views,  either  of 
obedience  to  Christ,  or  of  Christian  edifica- 
tion, be  a  minister  or  a  member  with  us.  You 
may  be  as  happy  and  as  useful  as  you  can  in 
any  other  connexion;  but  we  must  take  away 
that  authority  and  those  privileges  which  we 
once  gave  you,  and  of  which  your  further 
exercise   among  us   would    be   subversive  of 


68  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

those  principles  which  we  are  solemnly 
pledged  to  support."  Is  this  language  unrea- 
sonable ?  Is  the  measure  which  it  contem- 
plates oppressive  ?  Would  it  be  more  just  in 
itself,  or  more  favourable  to  the  rights  of 
conscience,  if  any  individual  could  retain  his 
place  as  a  teacher  and  guide  in  a  church,  con- 
trary to  its  wishes;  to  the  subversion  of  its 
faith;  to  the  disturbance  of  its  peace;  and 
finally  to  the  endangering  of  its  existence; 
and  all  this  contrary  to  his  own  solemn  en- 
gagements, and  to  the  distinct  understanding 
of  its  members,  when  he  joined  them  ?  Surely 
every  friend  of  religious  liberty  would  indig- 
nantly answer,  No!  Such  a  church  would  be 
the  oppressed  party,  and  such  a  member,  tbe 
tyrant. 

The  conclusion,  then,  is,  that  when  a  church 
makes  use  of  a  Creed  in  the  manner  that  has 
been  described;  as  a  bond  of  union;  as  a  bar- 
rier against  what  it  deems  heresy;  and  in 
conformity  with  what  it  conscientiously  be- 
lieves to  be  the  will  of  Christ;  it  is  so  far 
from  encroaching  on  the  "rights"  of  others; 
so  far  from  being  chargeable  with  "  oppres- 
sion;" that  it  is  really,  in  the  most  enlight- 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  69 

ened  manner,  and  on  the  largest  scale,  main- 
taining the  rights  of  conscience;  and  that  for 
such  a  church,  instead  of  doing  this,  to  give 
up  its  own  testimony  to  the  truth  and  order  of 
God's  house;  to  surrender  its  own  comfort, 
peace,  and  edification,  for  the  sake  of  comply- 
ing with  the  unreasonable  demands  of  a  cor- 
rupt individual,  would  be  to  subject  itself  to 
the  worst  of  slavery.  What  is  the  subjugation 
of  the  many,  with  all  their  interests,  rights, 
and  happiness  to  the  dictation  of  one,  or  a  few, 
but  the  essence  of  tyranny? 

3.  A  third  objection  often  urged  against 
subscription  to  Creeds  and  Confessions  is,  that 
it  is  unfriendly  to  free  inquiry.  "  When  a 
man,"  say  the  enemies  of  Creeds,  *'  has  once 
subscribed  a  public  formulary,  and  taken  his 
ecclesiastical  stand  with  a  church  which  re- 
quires it,  he  must  continue  so  to  believe  to 
the  end  of  life  or  resign  his  place;  new  light 
in  abundance  may  offer  itself  to  his  view;  but 
he  must  close  his  eyes  against  it.  Now,  can 
it  be  right,"  say  they,  "  for  any  one  volunta- 
rily to  place  himself  in  circumstances  of  so 
much  temptation;  willingly  to  place  himself 
within   the  reach    of  strong   inducements   to 


70  UTILITT  AND  IMPORTANCE 

tamper  with  conscience,  and  to  resist  convic- 
tion?" 

In  answer  to  this  objection,  my  first  remark 
is,  that  when  a  man  takes  on  himself  the  so- 
lemn and  highly  responsible  office  of  a  public 
instructer  of  others,  we  must  presume  that  he 
has  examined  the  most  important  of  the  va- 
rious Creeds,  called  Christian,  with  all  the  de- 
liberation, sincerity,  and  prayer,  of  which  he 
is  capable,  and  that  he  has  made  up  his  mind 
with  respect  to  the  leading  doctrines  of  Scrip- 
ture. To  suppose  any  one  capable  of  entering 
on  the  duties  of  the  ministerial  office  while  he 
is  wavering  and  unsettled,  and  liable  to  be 
"  carried  about  by  every  wind  of  doctrine,"  is 
to  suppose  him  both  weak  and  criminal  to  a 
very  great  degree.  I  know,  indeed,  that  some 
ardent  opposers  of  Creeds,  consider  a  state  of 
entire  indecision  with  regard  even  to  leading 
theological  doctrines,  as  the  most  laudable  and 
desirable  state  of  mind.  They  wish  every 
man,  not  only  to  feel  himself  a  learner  to  the 
end  of  life,  which  is  undoubtedly  right;  but, 
also,  if  possible,  to  keep  himself  in  that  equi- 
librium of  mind  with  respect  to  the  most  im- 
portant doctrinal  opinions,  which  shall  amount 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  71 

to  perfect  indifference  whether  he  retains  or 
relinquishes  his  present  sentiments.  This  they 
eulogize,  as  "  openness  to  conviction/'  "  free- 
dom from  prejudice,"  &c.  Without  stopping 
to  combat  this  sentiment  at  large,  I  hesitate 
not  to  pronounce  it  unreasonable  in  itself; 
contrary  to  Scripture;  and  an  enemy  to  all 
Christian  stability  and  comfort.  We  know 
what  is  said  in  the  word  of  God,  of  those  who 
are  "  ever  learning,  and  never  able  to  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  I  repeat  it,  we 
must  suppose  him  who  undertakes  to  be  a 
teacher  of  others,  to  be  himself,  as  the  apostle 
expresses  it,  "  grounded  and  settled  in  the 
faith."  We  ought  to  be  considered,  then,  as 
having  all  the  security  that  the  nature  of  the 
case  admits,  that  he  who  comes  forward  as  one 
of  the  lights  and  leaders  of  a  religious  commu- 
nity, is  firm  in  the  principles  which  he  has 
professed,  and  will  not  be  very  apt,  essentially, 
to  alter  his  Creed. 

But  further;  the  same  objection  might  be 
urged,  with  quite  as  much  force,  against  a 
man's  making  any  public  declaration  of  his 
sentiments,  either  by  preaching,  or  by  writing, 
and  printing;  lest  he  should  afterwards  obtain 


72  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

more  light,  and  yet  be  tempted  to  adhere,  con- 
trary to  his  conscience,  to  what  he  had  before 
so  publicly  espoused.  But  does  any  honest 
minister  of  the  Gospel  think  it  his  duty  to 
forbear  to  preach,  or  otherwise  to  express  his 
opinions,  because  it  is  possible  he  may  after- 
wards change  them?  We  know  that  if  the 
preacher  of  a  Unitarian  congregation  should 
alter  his  views,  and  become  orthodox,  he  must 
quit  his  place,  give  up  his  salary,  and  seek 
employment  among  his  new  connexions. 
The  same  thing  would  happen,  if  a  change  the 
converse  of  this  were  to  occur,  and  an  ortho- 
dox preacher  become  a  Unitarian.  What 
then?  Because  an  honest  man,  when  he 
changes  his  mind  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
will  always  hold  himself  in  readiness  to  change 
his  situation,  and  to  make  every  necessary 
sacrifice,  shall  he,  therefore,  never  venture  to 
take  any  public  station,  lest  he  should  not 
always  think  as  he  does  at  present? 

Nay,  this  objection,  if  it  prove  any  thing, 
will  be  found  to  prove  by  far  too  much  even 
for  our  opponents  themselves.  The  adversa- 
ries of  Creeds  acknowledge,  with  one  consent, 
that  every  one  ought  to  be  ready  to  profess 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  73 

his  belief  in  the  Bible.  But  is  not  even  this 
profession  just  as  liable  to  the  charge  of  being 
"  unfriendly  to  free  inquiry"  as  any  other? 
Suppose  any  one,  after  solemnly  declaring  his 
belief  in  the  Bible,  should  cease  to  believe  it? 
Would  he  be  bound  to  consider  his  old  sub- 
scription as  still  binding,  and  as  precluding 
further  examination?  Or  would  it  be  reason- 
able in  any  man  to  decline  any  profession  of 
belief  in  the  Bible,  lest  he  should,  one  day, 
alter  his  mind,  and  feel  himself  embarrassed 
by  his  profession? 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  every  public 
act,  by  which  a  man  pledges  himself,  even  as 
a  private  member,  to  any  particular  denomi- 
nation of  Christians,  interposes  some  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  his  afterwards  deserting  that 
denomination,  and  uniting  himself  with  ano- 
ther. And,  perhaps,  it  may  be  said,  the  more 
delicate  and  honourable  his  mind,  the  more 
reluctant  and  slow  he  will  be  to  abandon  his 
old  connexions,  and  choose  new  ones.  So 
that  such  an  one  will  really  labour  under  a 
temptation  to  resist  light,  and  remain  where 
he  is.  But  because  this  is  so,  shall  a  man 
therefore,  never  join  any  Church;  never  take 
7 


74  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

one  step  that  will,  directly  or  indirectly, 
pledge  his  religious  Creed  or  character,  lest 
he  should  afterwards  alter  his  mind,  and  be 
constrained  to  transfer  his  relation  to  a  differ- 
ent body,  and  thus  be  liable  to  find  himself 
embarrassed  by  his  former  steps?  Upon  this 
principle,  we  must  go  further,  and  adopt  the 
doctrine  equally  absurd  and  heathenish,  that 
no  parent  ought  ever  to  instruct  his  child  in 
what  he  deems  the  most  precious  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  lest  he  should  fill  his  mind  with  pre- 
judices, and  present  an  obstacle  to  free  and 
unshackled  inquiry  afterwards.  For  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  early  parental  instruction 
does  present  more  or  less  obstacle,  in  the  way 
of  a  subsequent  change  of  opinion,  on  those 
subjects  which  that  instruction  embraced.  Yet 
our  Father  in  heaven  has  expressly  com- 
manded us  to  instruct  our  children  and  to  en- 
deavour to  pre-occupy  their  minds  with  every 
thing  that  is  excellent  both  in  principle  and 
practice.  In  short,  if  the  objection  before  us 
be  valid,  then  no  one  ought  ever  to  go  for- 
ward in  the  discharge  of  any  duty;  for  he 
may  one  day  cease  to  think  it  a  duty;  in 
other  words,  he  ought  habitually,  and  upon 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  75 

principle,  to  disobey  some  of  the  plainest 
commands  of  God,  lest  he  should  afterwards 
entertain  different  views  of  those  commands, 
from  those  which  he  at  present  entertains. 
Nay,  if  this  be  so,  then  every  book  a  man 
reads,  and  every  careful,  deep  inquiry  he 
makes  concerning  the  subject  of  it,  must  be 
considered  as  tending  to  influence  the  mind, 
and  to  interfere  with  perfect  impartiality  in 
any  subsequent  inquiry  on  the  same  subject; 
and,  therefore,  ought  to  be  forborne! 

Surely  no  man  in  his  senses  judges  or  acts 
thus.  Especially,  no  Christian  allows  himself 
thus  to  reason  or  act.  In  the  path  of  what 
appears  to  be  present  duty,  he  feels  bound  to 
go  forward,  leaving  future  things  with  God. 
If  subscription  to  a  correct  Creed  be  really 
agreeable  to  the  will  of  God;  if  it  be  necessa- 
ry, both  to  the  purity  and  harmony  of  the 
Church;  and,  therefore,  in  itself  a  duty;  then, 
no  man  ought  any  more  to  hesitate  about  dis- 
charging this  duty,  than  about  discharging  any 
of  those  duties  which  have  been  mentioned, 
or  any  others  which  may  be  supposed.  There 
is  no  station  in  life  in  which  its  occupant  does 
not  find  some  peculiar  temptation.     But  if  he 


76  UTILITY  AND  IMRORTANCE 

be  a  man  of  a  right  spirit,  he  will  meet  it 
with  Christian  integrity,  and  overcome  it  with 
Christian  courage.  If  he  be  a  truly  honest 
man,  he  will  be  faithful  to  his  God,  and  faith- 
ful to  his  own  conscience,  at  all  hazards;  and 
if  he  be  not  honest,  he  will  not  be  very  likely 
to  benefit  the  Church  by  his  discoveries  and 
speculations.  Accordingly,  the  voice  of  his- 
tory confirms  this  reasoning.  On  the  one 
hand,  how  many  thousand  instances  have  the 
last  two  centuries  afforded,  of  men  who  were 
willing  to  incur,  not  only  obloquy  and  re 
proach,  but  also  beggary,  imprisonment,  and 
even  death  itself,  in  their  most  frightful  forms, 
rather  than  abandon  the  truth,  and  subscribe 
to  formularies  which  they  could  not  conscien- 
tiously adopt!  On  the  other  hand,  how  many 
instances  have  occurred,  within  the  last  fifty 
years,  of  unprincipled  men,  after  solemnly  sub- 
scribing orthodox  Creeds,  disregarding  their 
vows,  and  opposing  the  spirit  of  those  Creeds, 
and  still  retaining  their  ecclesiastical  stations, 
without  reserve!  It  is  plain,  then,  that  this 
whole  objection,  though  specious,  has  not  the 
least  solidity.  Truly  upright  and  pious  men 
will  always  follow   their  convictions;  while, 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  77 

with  regard  to  those  of  an  opposite  character, 
their  light,  whether  they  remain  or  depart, 
will  be  found  to  be  of  no  value,  either  to 
themselves,  or  the  Church  of  God. 

4.  A  fourth  objection  frequently  brought 
against  Creeds  is,  that  they  have  altogether 
failed  of  answering  the  purpose  professed  to 
be  intended  by  them.  "  Churches,"  it  is  said, 
"which  have  Creeds  the  most  carefully  drawn, 
and  of  the  most  rigid  character,  are  as  far 
from  being  united  in  doctrinal  opinions,  as 
some  which  either  have  never  had  any  Creeds 
at  all,  or  have  long  since  professedly  omitted 
to  enforce  subscription  to  them.  To  mention 
only  two  examples:  the  Church  of  England, 
for  nearly  three  centuries,  has  had  a  set  of 
Articles  decisively  Calvinistic,  to  which  all  her 
candidates  for  the  ministry  are  required  to 
subscribe;  but  we  know  that  more  than  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  have  passed  away,  since 
Pelagian  and  Semi-Pelagian  tenets  began  to 
pollute  that  important  branch  of  the  reformed 
Church;  and  that  within  the  last  seventy-five 
or  eighty  years,  almost  every  form  of  heresy 
has  lurked  under  subscription  to  her  orthodox 
Articles.  And  even  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
7* 


78  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

which  has  had,  for  nearly  two  centuries,  the 
most  rigidly  and  minutely  orthodox  Confes- 
sion on  earth,  is  generally  supposed,  at  this 
hour,  to  have  a  ministry  far  from  being  unani- 
mous in  loving  and  honouring  her  public 
standards.  Now,  if  Creeds  have  not  in  fact, 
been  productive  of  the  great  benefit  intended 
by  them,  even  in  some  of  the  most  favourable 
cases  that  can  be  produced,  why  be  perplexed 
and  burdened  with  them  at  all  ?" 

This  objection  evidently  proceeds  on  the 
principle,  that  a  remedy  which  does  not  ac- 
complish every  thing,  is  worth  nothing.  Be- 
cause Creeds  have  not  completely  banished 
dissension  and  discord  from  the  churches 
which  have  adopted  them,  therefore  they 
have  been  of  no  use.  But  is  this  sound  rea- 
soning? Does  it  accord  even  with  common 
sense,  or  with  the  dictates  of  experience  in 
any  walk  of  life?  Because  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  has  not  completely  defended 
our  country  from  all  political  animosity  and 
strife,  is  it,  therefore,  worthless?  Or  should 
we  have  been  more  united  and  harmonious 
without  any  constitutional  provisions  at  all? 
Because  the  system  of  public  law  does  not  an- 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  79 

nihilate  all  crime,  should  we,  of  course,  be  as 
well  without  it.  No  one  will  say  this.  Nay, 
may  not  the  objection  be  retorted  on  those 
who  urge  it?  They  contend  that  Creeds  are 
unnecessary;  that  the  Bible  is  amply  sufficient 
for  all  purposes,  as  a  test  of  truth.  But  has 
the  Bible  banished  dissension  and  discord 
from  the  Church?  No  one  will  pretend  that 
it  has.  Yet  why  not  ?  Surely  not  on  account 
of  any  error  or  defect  in  itself;  but  on  account 
of  the  folly  and  perverseness  of  depraved 
man,  who,  amidst  all  the  provisions  of  infinite 
wisdom  and  goodness,  is  continually  warring 
against  the  peace  of  the  world. 

But  I  go  further,  and  maintain  that  the  his- 
tory of  the  practical  influence  of  Creeds,  is 
strongly  in  their  favour.  Though  they  have 
not  done  every  thing  that  could  have  been 
desired,  they  have  done  much;  and  much  in 
those  very  churches  which  have  been  most 
frequently  selected  as  examples  of  their  entire 
want  of  efficacy.  The  Calvinistic  articles  of 
the  Church  of  England  were  the  means  of 
keeping  her  doctrinally  pure,  to  a  very  re- 
markable degree,  for  the  greater  part  of  a 
hundred   years.     In  the  reign  of  James  I., 


80  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

very  few  opponents  of  Calvinism  dared  pub- 
licly to  avow  their  opinions;  and  of  those  who 
did  avow  them,  numbers  were  severely  disci- 
plined, and  others  saved  themselves  from 
similar  treatment,  by  subsequent  silence  and 
discretion.  The  inroads  of  error,  therefore, 
were  very  powerfully  checked,  and  its  tri- 
umph greatly  retarded  by  those  public  stand- 
ards. In  fact,  the  great  body  of  the  bishops 
and  clergy  professed  to  be  doctrinal  Calvinists, 
until  a  number  of  years  after  the  Synod  of 
Dort,  when,  chiefly  by  the  influence  of  Arch- 
bishop Laud,  and  his  creatures,  Arminianism 
was  gradually  and  guardedly  brought  in,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  faithful  application 
of  the  thirty-nine  articles,  as  a  test  of  ortho- 
doxy, and  of  admission  to  the  ministry,  was 
discontinued.  The  articles  continued  to  speak 
as  before,  and  to  be  solemnly  subscribed;  but 
the  spirit  of  the  administration  under  them 
was  no  longer  the  same.  It  became  predomi- 
nantly Arminian.  We  may  truly  say,  then, 
that  the  Creed  of  the  Church  of  England  con- 
tinued to  operate  effectually  as  a  bond  of 
union,  and  a  barrier  against  the  encroach- 
mentsof  heresy,  as  long  as  it  continued  to  be 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  81 

faithfully  applied,  agreeably  to  its  known  ori- 
ginal purport.  When  it  ceased  to  be  thus 
applied,  it  ceased  to  produce  its  wonted  effect. 
But  can  this  be  reasonably  wondered  at?  As 
well  might  we  wonder  that  a  medicine,  when 
its  use  was  laid  aside,  should  no  longer  heal. 

The  very  same  representation,  in  substance, 
may  be  made  concerning  the  church  of  Scot- 
land. Her  pre-eminently  excellent  Creed  was 
the  means,  under  God,  of  keeping  her  united 
and  pure,  as  long  as  that  Creed  continued  to 
be  honestly  employed  as  a  test,  according  to 
its  true  intent  and  spirit.  When  this  ceased 
to  be  the  case,  it  would  have  been  strange, 
indeed,  if  the  state  of  things  had  remained  as 
before.  It  did  not  so  remain.  With  lax  and 
dishonest  subscription,  heresy  came  in: — at 
first,  with  reserve  and  caution,  but  afterwards 
more  openly.  But  even  to  the  present  day, 
as  all  know  who  are  acquainted  with  the  state 
of  that  church,  the  movements  of  heresy  within 
her  bosom,  are  held  in  most  salutary  check; 
and  her  condition  is  incomparably  more  fa- 
vourable than  it  could  have  been,  had  her 
public  standards  been  long  ago  abolished. 

Nor  have    the   Creeds   of   those  national 


82  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

churches  of  Great  Britain  yet  accomplished 
all  the  benefits  to  the  cause  of  truth  and  right- 
eousness  which  they  are  destined  to  confer. 
Though  their  genuine  spirit  has  been  long 
since  forgotten  by  many;  this  is  by  no  means 
the  case  with  all.  There  has  constantly  been 
in  both  those  churches,  a  body  of  faithful  wit- 
nesses to  the  truth.  This  body,  thanks  to  the 
Almighty  and  all-gracious  King  of  Zion!  is 
increasing.  Their  "  good  Confessions"  form 
a  rallying  point,  around  which  numbers  are 
now  gathering;  and  those  far-famed  formu- 
laries, the  favourable  influence  of  which  has 
been  supposed  by  many  to  be  long  since  ex- 
hausted, and  more  than  exhausted,  will  again 
become,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe,  an 
"  ensign  to  the  people,"  to  which  there  shall 
be  a  flocking  of  those  who  love  the  "simpli- 
city that  is  in  Christ,"  more  extensive  and 
more  glorious  than  ever  before. 

Nor  are  we  without  significant  attestations 
to  the  efficacy  of  Creeds,  and  to  the  mischief 
of  being  without  them,  in  our  own  country. 
Of  the  former,  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States,  is  one  of  the  most  signal  exam- 
ples.    Conflicts  she  has,  indeed,  had;  but  they 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  83 

have  been  such  as  were  incident  to  every 
community,  ecclesiastical  or  civil,  adminis- 
tered by  the  counsels  of  imperfect  men. 
Amidst  them  all,  she  has,  by  the  favour  of 
her  Divine  Head,  held  on  her  way,  substan- 
tially true  to  her  system  of  doctrine  and 
order;  and  though  constituted,  originally,  by 
members  from  different  countries,  and  of  dif- 
ferent habits,  she  has  remained  united  to  a 
degree,  considering  all  things,  truly  wonder- 
ful. Of  the  latter,  the  Congregational  churches 
of  Massachusetts,  furnish  a  melancholy  memo- 
rial. Though  originally  formed  by  a  people, 
far  more  homogeneous  in  their  character  and 
habits,  and  far  more  united  in  their  opinions; 
yet,  being  destitute  of  any  efficient  bond  of 
union,  and  equally  destitute  of  the  means  of 
maintaining  it,  if  it  had  been  possessed,  they 
have  fallen  a  prey  to  dissension  and  error,  to 
a  degree,  equally  instructive  and  mournful. 

5.  The  last  objection  which  I  shall  consider 
is,  that  subscription  to  Creeds,  has  not  only 
failed  entirely  of  producing  the  benefits  con- 
templated by  their  friends;  but  has  rather 
been  found  to  produce  the  opposite  evils; — to 
generate  discord  and   strife.     "  Creeds,"  say 


84  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

some,  "instead  of  tending  to  compose  diffe- 
rences, and  to  bind  the  members  of  churches 
more  closely  together,  have  rather  proved  a 
bone  of  contention,  and  a  means  of  exciting 
mutual  charges  of  heresy,  and  a  thousand  ill 
feelings,  among  those  who  might  have  been 
otherwise  perfectly  harmonious." 

In  reply  to  this  objection,  my  first  remark 
is,  that  the  alleged  fact,  which  it  takes  for 
granted,  is  utterly  denied.  It  is  not  true  that 
Creeds  have  generated  contention  and  strife 
in  the  bosom  of  those  churches  which  have 
adopted  them.  On  the  contrary,  it  would  be 
easy  to  show,  by  an  extended  induction  of 
facts,  that  in  those  churches  in  which  Creeds 
and  Confessions  have  been  most  esteemed  and 
most  regarded,  there  union  and  peace  have 
most  remarkably  reigned.  In  truth,  it  has 
ever  been  the  want  of  faithful  regard  to  such 
formularies,  that  has  led  to  division  and  strife 
in  the  Church  of  Christ.  I  doubt  whether  any 
denomination  of  Christians  ever  existed,  for 
half  a  century  together,  destitute  of  a  public 
Creed,  however  united  and  harmonious  it 
might  have  been,  at  the  commencement  of 
this  period;  without  exhibiting,  before  the  end 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  85 

of  it,  either  that  stillness  of  death,  which  is  the 
result  of  cold  indifference  to  the  truth;  or  that 
miserable  scene  of  discord,  in  which  "  parting 
asunder"  was  the  only  means  of  escaping  from 
open  violence. 

My  next  remark  is,  that,  even  if  it  were 
shown,  that  orthodox  public  Creeds  are  often 
indirectly  connected  with  conflict  and  conten- 
tion in  the  Church ;  it  would  form  no  solid 
argument  against  them.  Ardent  attachment 
to  what  they  deemed  truth,  is  the  principle,  in 
all  ages,  which  has  led  Christian  communities 
to  adopt  Creeds  and  Confessions  of  Faith. 
The  same  attachment  to  truth  will  naturally 
lead  them  to  watch  with  care  against  every 
thing  that  is  hostile  to  it ;  and  to  "  contend 
earnestly"  in  its  defence,  when  it  is  attacked. 
In  this  case,  a  Creed,  supposing  it  to  be  a 
sound  and  scriptural  one,  is  no  more  the 
cause  of  conflict  and  division,  than  a  whole- 
some medicine  is  the  cause  of  that  disease 
which  it  is  intended  to  cure.  The  word  of 
God  commands  us  to  "  contend,"  and  to 
u  contend  earnestly,  for  the  faith  once  deliv- 
ered to  the  saints,"  and  to  hold  him  "  accurs- 
ed" who  preaches  "  another  gospel"  than  that 


86  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

which  the  Scriptures  reveal.  But  when  such 
"contention"  becomes  necessary,  who  is  to 
blame  for  it  ?  Surely  not  truth,  or  its  advo- 
cates; but  those  who  patronise  error,  and  thus 
endeavour  to  corrupt  the  body  of  Christ ;  and, 
of  course  render  contention  for  the  truth  a 
duty.  It  is  granted,  indeed,  that,  in  this  con- 
flict, much  unhallowed  temper  may  be  mani- 
fested. Not  only  on  the  part  of  the  advocates 
of  error ;  but  also,  in  some  degree,  on  the  part 
of  the  friends  of  truth.  They  may  contend 
even  for  the  truth,  with  bigotry  and  bitter- 
ness. Still,  this  does  not  render  the  truth 
itself  less  precious;  or  the  duty  of  contending 
for  it  less  imperative;  or  those  summaries  of 
it  which  Christians  have  been  led  to  form,  less 
valuable,  as  testimonies  for  God. 

Before  Christianity  was  preached  in  the 
Roman  empire,  the  different  classes  of  Pagans 
lived  together  in  peace.  The  foundation  of 
this  peace  was  the  opinion,  that  error  was  in- 
nocent; and  that  all  classes  of  religionists 
were  equally  safe.  But  when  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ  was  preached  ;  when  his  minis- 
ters proclaimed  that  there  was  no  other  system 
either  true  or  safe;  that  there  was  no  other 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  87 

foundation  of  hope ;  that  all  false  religions 
were  not  only  highly  criminal,  but  also  eter- 
nally destructive;  and  that  the  followers  of 
Christ  could  not  possibly  countenance  any  of 
them; — thenj  a  scene  of  the  most  shocking 
persecution  and  violence,  on  the  part  of  the 
Pagans,  commenced.  But  on  what,  or  on 
whom,  are  we  to  throw  the  blame,  for  these 
scenes  of  violence?  No  one,  surely,  will  say, 
on  Christianity.  We  are  rather  to  impute  it 
to  the  corruption  of  human  nature,  and  to  the 
blindness  and  violence  of  Pagan  malice.  If 
the  primitive  Christians  had  been  willing  to 
give  up  the  precious  truth  committed  to  them, 
and  to  act  upon  the  principle,  that  all  modes 
of  faith  were  equally  safe ;  they  might  have 
escaped  much,  if  not  the  whole  of  the  dread- 
ful persecution  which  they  were  called  to  en- 
dure. 

The  only  additional  remark,  therefore, 
which  I  have  to  make  on  the  objection  before 
us,  is,  that  it  can  have  no  force,  excepting 
upon  the  principle,  that  error  ought  to  be  left 
unassailed,  and  that  contention  for  the  truth 
is  not  a  duty: — for  all  defence  of  the  truth, 
against  its  active  opposers — all  "  contending 


8©  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

for  the  truth,"  must,  of  course,  disturb  that 
cold  and  death-like  tranquillity  which  indif- 
ference to  the  purity  of  faith  tends  to  intro- 
duce. We  are  commanded,  "  if  it  be  possible, 
as  much  as  lieth  in  us,  to  live  peaceably  with 
all  men."  But  it  is  not  "  possible"  to  be  at 
peace  with  some  men.  We  must  not  be  at 
peace  with  error  or  wickedness.  The  Divine 
authority  makes  it  our  duty  to  oppose  them 
to  the  utmost  at  our  peril.  And  if,  in  the  dis- 
charge of  this  duty,  the  peace  of  the  church 
is,  for  a  time,  disturbed,  the  sin  lies  at  the 
door  of  those  who  rendered  the  conflict  neces- 
sary. Those  summaries  of  truth,  which  par- 
ticular occasions  make  it  important  to  embody 
and  to  publish,  are  no  more  to  blame  for  the 
struggle,  than  the  wise  and  wholesome  law  of 
the  land  is  to  blame  for  that  agitation  which 
necessarily  attends  the  seizure,  the  trial,  and 
the  execution  of  a  malefactor. 

But  admitting  Creeds  to  be  lawful  and  ne- 
cessary, it  has  often  been  asked  by  some  who 
profess  to  be  their  friends,  whether  they  ought 
ever  to  contain  any  other  articles  than  those 
few  which  are  strictly  fundamental ; — in  other 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  89 

words,  whether  we  ought  ever  to  insert  among 
the  members  of  a  Creed  intended  to  be  sub- 
scribed by  all  candidates  for  office  in  a  church, 
any  more  than  some  half  a  dozen  articles, 
the  reception  of  which  is  generally  considered 
as  absolutely  essential  to  Christian  character? 
This  is  a  question  of  real  importance,  which 
certainly  deserves  grave  consideration,  and  a 
candid  answer.  And  for  one,  I  have  no  hesi- 
tation in  saying,  that  in  my  opinion,  church 
Creeds  not  only  lawfully  may,  but  always 
ought,  to  contain  a  number  of  articles  besides 
those  which  are  fundamental.  And  to  estab- 
lish this,  as  it  appears  to  me,  no  other  proof  is 
necessary  than  simply  to  remark,  that  there 
are  many  points  confessedly  not  fundamental, 
concerning  which,  nevertheless,  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  Christian  peace  and  edi- 
fication, that  the  members,  and  especially  the 
ministers  of  every  church  should  be  harmo- 
nious in  their  views  and  practice.  As  long  as 
the  visible  church  of  Christ  continues  to  be 
divided  into  different  sections  or  denomina- 
tions, the  several  Creeds  which  they  employ, 
if  they  are  to  answer  any  effectual  purpose  at 
all,  must  be  so  constructed  as  to  exclude  from 
8* 


90  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

each  those  teachers  whom  it  conscientiously 
believes  to  be  unscriptural  and  corrupt ;  and 
whom,  as  long  as  it  retains  this  belief,  it  ought 
to  exclude. 

To  exemplify  my  meaning.  The  Presby- 
terian church,  and  most  other  denominations, 
who  have  a  regular  system  of  government, 
believe  that  the  Christian  ministry  is  a  divine 
ordinance,  and  that  none  but  those  who  have 
been  regularly  authorized  to  discharge  its 
functions,  ought  by  any  means,  to  attempt  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  or  administer  the  Sacra- 
ments of  the  church.  Yet  there  are  very 
pious,  excellent  men,  who  have  adopted  the 
sentiments  of  some  high-toned  Independents, 
who  verily  think  that  every  "  gifted  brother," 
whether  ordained  or  not,  has  as  good  a  right 
to  preach  as  any  man ;  and,  if  invited  by  the 
church  to  do  it,  to  administer  the  Sacraments. 
Now,  no  sober  minded  Presbyterian  will  con- 
sider this  as  a  fundamental  question.  Funda- 
mental, indeed,  it  is,  to  ecclesiastical  order; 
but  to  the  existence  of  Christian  character,  it 
is  not.  Men  may  differ  entirely  on  this  point, 
and  yet  be  equally  united  to  Christ  by  faith, 
and,  of  course  equally  safe  as  to  their  eternal 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  91 

prospects.  But  would  any  real,  consistent 
Presbyterian  be  willing  to  connect  himself 
with  a  church,  calling  itself  by  that  name,  in 
which,  while  one  portion  considered  none  but 
a  regular  minister  as  competent  to  the  dis- 
charge of  the  functions  alluded  to,  as  many  of 
the  other  portion  as  chose,  claimed  and  actu- 
ally exercised  the  right,  to  rise  in  the  congre- 
gation, and  preach,  baptize,  and  dispense  the 
Lord's  Supper,  when  and  how  each  might 
think  proper;  and  not  only  so,  but  when  the 
ordained  ministers  occupying  the  pulpit,  in 
succession,  differed  no  less  entirely  among 
themselves  in  reference  to  the  disputed  ques- 
tion; some  encouraging,  and  others  repressing, 
the  efforts  of  these  "  gifted  brethren  ?  I  do 
not  ask  whether  such  a  church  could  be  tran- 
quil or  comfortable;  but  whether  it  could  pos- 
sibly exist  in  a  state  of  coherence,  for  twelve 
months  together  ? 

Take  another  example.  No  man  in  his 
senses  will  consider  the  question  which  di- 
vides the  Pedobaptists  and  the  Antipedobap- 
tists  as  a  fundamental  one.  Though  I  have 
no  doubt  that  infant  baptism  is  a  doctrine  of 
the  Bible,  and  an  exceedingly  important  doc- 


92  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

trine;  and  that  the  rejection  of  it  is  a  mis- 
chievous error;  yet  I  have  quite  as  little  doubt 
that  some  eminently  pious  men  have  been  of 
a  different  opinion.  But  what  would  be  the 
situation  of  a  church  equally  divided,  or  nearly 
so,  on  this  point;  ministers  as  well  as  private 
members  constantly  differing  among  them- 
selves; members  of  each  party  conscientiously 
persuaded  that  the  others  were  wrong;  each 
laying  great  stress  on  the  point  of  difference, 
as  one  concerning  which  there  could  be  no 
compromise,  or  accommodation;  all  claiming 
and  endeavouring  to  exercise  the  right  not 
only  to  reason,  but  to  act,  according  to  their 
respective  convictions;  and  every  one  zealous- 
ly endeavouring  to  make  proselytes  to  his 
own  principles  and  practice?  Which  would 
such  a  church  most  resemble — the  builders  of 
Babel,  when  their  speech  was  confounded;  or 
a  holy  and  united  family,  "walking  together 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  consolations 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  edifying  one  another 
in  love?" 

Let  me  offer  one  illustration  more.  The 
question  between  Presbyterians  and  Prelatists 
is  generally  acknowledged  not  to  be  funda- 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  93 

mental.  I  do  not  mean  that  this  is  acknow- 
ledged by  such  of  our  Episcopal  brethren  as 
coolly  consign  to  what  they  are  pleased  to  call 
the  "  uncovenanted  mercy  of  God,"  all  those 
denominations  who  have  not  a  ministry  epis- 
copally  ordained;  and  who,  on  account  of  this 
exclusive  sentiment  are  styled  by  Bishop  An- 
drews, "iron  hearted,"  and  by  Archbishop 
Wake,  "madmen:"  but  my  meaning  is,  that 
all  Presbyterians,  without  exception;  a  great 
majority  of  the  best  Prelatists  themselves; 
and  all  moderate,  sober-minded  Protestants,  of 
every  country,  acknowledge  that  this  point  of 
controversy  is  one  which  does  by  no  means 
affect  Christian  character  or  hope.  Still  is  it 
not  plain,  that  a  body  of  ministers  entirely 
differing  among  themselves  as  to  this  point; 
though  they  might  love,  and  commune  with, 
each  other,  as  Christians;  could  not  possibly 
act  harmoniously  together  in  the  important 
rite  of  ordination;  whatever  they  might  do  in 
other  religious  concerns  ? 

In  all  these  cases,  it  is  evident  there  is  no- 
thing fundamental  to  the  existence  of  vital 
piety.  Yet  it  is  equally  evident,  that  those 
who  differ  entirely  and  zealously  concerning 


94  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

the  points  supposed,  cannot  be  comfortable  in 
the  same  ecclesiastical  communion.  But  how 
is  their  coming  together,  and  the  consequent 
discord  and  strife,  which  would  be  inevitable, 
to  be  prevented  ?  I  know  of  no  method  but 
so  constructing  their  Confessions  of  Faith  as 
to  form  different  families  or  denominations? 
and  to  shut  out  from  each  those  who  are  hos- 
tile to  its  distinguishing  principles  of  order. 

It  is  plain,  then,  that  unless  Confessions  of 
Faith  contain  articles,  not,  strictly  speaking, 
fundamental,  they  cannot  possibly  answer  one 
principal  purpose  for  which  they  are  formed, 
viz.  guarding  churches  which  receive  the  pure 
order  and  discipline,  as  well  as  truth,  of 
Scripture,  from  the  intrusion  of  teachers,  who, 
though  they  may  be  pious,  yet  could  not  fail 
to  disturb  the  peace,  and  mar  the  edification  of 
the  more  correct  and  sound  part  of  the  body. 

But  for  further  details  on  this  subject,  both 
for  and  against  the  doctrine  which  I  maintain, 
I  must  refer  you  to  those  works  which  have 
been  devoted  to  its  more  extended  discussion: 
more  particularly  to  what  is  said  by  the  judi- 
cious and  excellent  Mr.  Dunlop,  in  the  able 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  95 

Preface  to  his  "  Collection  of  Confessions:"  to 
"  The  Confessional,"  by  Mr.  Blackburn,  one 
of  the  most  zealous  and  formidable  opposers 
of  Creeds;  which  will  prepare  you  for  peru- 
sing some  of  the  best  of  the  many  valuable 
answers  to  that  far-famed  work:  to  "Walker's 
Vindication  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,"  &c: 
and,  finally,  to  Mr.  Dyer's  "  Inquiry  into  the 
Nature  of  Subscription  to  Articles  of  Reli- 
gion." 

The  subject,  beloved  Pupils,  on  which  I 
have  been  addressing  you,  is  eminently  a 
practical  one.  It  enters  deeply  into  many 
questions  of  personal  and  official  duty.  I 
shall,  therefore,  detain  you  a  few  moments 
longer,  by  calling  your  attention  to  some  of 
those  practical  inferences  from  the  foregoing 
principles  and  reasonings,  which  appear  to  me 
to  deserve  your  serious  regard — and 

1.  From  the  representation  which  has  been 
given,  we  may  see  how  little  reason  any  have 
to  be  afraid  of  Creeds  as  instruments  of  op- 
pression. 

There  is  something  so  perfectly  visionary 
and  unreasonable  in  the  very  thought  of  "  ty- 


96  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

ranny,"  or  "  oppression,"  as  connected  with 
subscription  to  Creeds,  in  this  country,  that 
the  only  wonder  is,  how  it  can  be  admitted, 
for  a  moment,  into  any  sober  mind.  Who 
does  or  can  impose  a  creed  upon  any  one,  or 
ever  attempt  to  do  it?  Is  any  man  in  the 
United  States  obliged  to  profess  any  belief; 
to  subscribe  any  Creed;  or  to  join  any  church 
whatever?  Every  man,  indeed,  is  bound  by 
the  law  of  God,  to  believe  correctly,  and  to 
connect  himself  with  a  pure  church.  He  is 
not  and  cannot  be  at  liberty,  in  the  sight  of 
Jehovah,  to  neglect  either.  But  is  any  man 
bound  by  human  law,  ecclesiastical  or  civil,  to 
do  any  of  these  things?  Is  any  man  in  the 
United  States,  after  he  has  subscribed  a  Creed, 
and  joined  a  church,  obliged,  by  any  human 
authority,  to  adhere  to  either  a  single  day 
longer  than  he  pleases?  Is  he  not  at  perfect 
liberty  to  withdraw,  at  any  moment,  and  that 
with  or  without  giving  a  reason  for  his  con- 
duct, as  he  thinks  proper?  Everlasting  thanks 
to  Him  who  gives  us  this  freedom!  May  it  be 
perpetual  and  universal!  Now,  one  would 
think,  this  is  liberty  enough  to  satisfy  any 
reasonable  man.     But  it  seems  there  are  really 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  97 

those  who  wish  for  more.  They  demand,  in 
effect,  that  the  church  should  be  willing  to 
take  all  manner  of  heresy,  as  well  as  ortho- 
doxy, to  her  bosom,  and  to  act  as  if  she 
regarded  both  with  an  equal  eye.  Nay,  they 
ask  that  heretics  be  freely  allowed  to  impose 
themselves  upon  her,  whether  she  be  willing 
or  not — not  to  unite  and  edify  her  members, 
but  to  divide  and  distract  them; — that  they  be 
at  liberty  to  come  into  the  Redeemer's  family, 
and  there,  without  any  regard  to  its  scriptural 
rules,  or  its  happy  harmony,  to  propagate  such 
discordant  sentiments,  and  to  establish  such 
new  principles  of  order,  or  disorder,  as  the 
intruders  may  choose  to  adopt.  But  is  this 
Christian  liberty?  Is  this  a  kind  of  liberty 
which  any  benevolent,  or  even  honest  man 
would  wish  to  possess?  It  is  liberty,  truly  of 
the  most  extraordinary  kind,  to  the  individu- 
al who  intrudes;  but  what  becomes  of  the 
liberty  of  the  ecclesiastical  body  which  he 
thus  enters,  contrary  to  its  wishes  and  com- 
fort, and  to  its  real  injury?  It  is,  evidently, 
the  same  sort  of  privilege  in  the  church,  as  the 
privilege  of  invading  the  retreat  of  private 
families,  or  disturbing  the  peace  of  civil  soci- 
9 


98  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

ety,  at  pleasure,  and  with  impunity,  would 
be  regarded  by  the  inhabitants  of  any  free 
country. 

2.  We  may  see  from  what  has  been  said, 
that  subscribing  a  Church  Creed,  is  not  a  mere 
formality;  but  a  very  solemn  transaction, 
which  means  much,  and  infers  the  most  seri- 
ous obligations.  It  is  certainly  a  transaction 
which  ought  to  be  entered  upon  with  much 
deep  deliberation  and  humble  prayer;  and  in 
which,  if  a  man  be  bound  to  be  sincere  in  any 
thing,  he  is  bound  to  be  honest  to  his  God, 
honest  to  himself,  and  honest  to  the  Church 
which  he  joins.  For  myself,  I  know  of  no 
transaction,  in  which  insincerity  is  more  justly 
chargeable  with  the  dreadful  sin  of  ''lying  to 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  than  in  this.  It  is  truly 
humiliating  and  distressing  to  know,  that  in 
some  churches  it  has  gradually  become  custom- 
ary, to  consider  Articles  of  Faith  as  merely 
articles  of  peace;  in  other  words,  as  articles 
which  he  who  subscribes,  is  not  considered  as 
professing  to  believe;  but  as  merely  engaging 
not  to  oppose — at  least  in  any  public  or  offen- 
sive manner.  Whether  we  bring  this  princi- 
ple to  the  test  of  reason,  of  Scripture,  of  the 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  99 

original  design  of  Creeds,  or  of  the  ordinary 
import  of  language  among  honourable  men; — 
it  seems  equally  liable  to  the  severest  repro- 
bation, as  disreputable  and  criminal  in  a  very 
high  degree.  Nor  does  it  appear  to  me  to  be 
any  alleviation,  either  of  the  disgrace  or  the 
sin,  that  many  of  the  governors  of  the  churches 
referred  to,  as  well  as  of  those  who  subscribe, 
publicly  avow  their  adoption  of  this  principle; 
admit  the  correctness  of  it;  keep  each  other 
in  countenance;  and  thus  escape,  as  they  ima- 
gine, the  charge  of  hypocrisy.  What  would 
be  thought  of  a  similar  principle,  if  generally 
adopted  and  avowed,  with  respect  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  oaths  in  civil  courts?  Suppose 
both  jurors  and  witnesses,  feeling  it  a  griev- 
ance to  be  bound  by  their  oaths  to  speak  the 
truth,  were  to  agree  among  themselves,  and 
openly  to  give  out,  that  they  did  not  mean, 
when  they  swore,  to  take  on  themselves  any 
such  obligation;  that  they  did  not  so  under- 
stand the  import  of  their  oaths,  and  did  not 
intend  to  recognize  any  such  meaning?  And 
suppose  the  judges  were  freely  to  admit  them 
to  their  oaths  with  a  similar  understanding  ? 
Would  a  witness  or  a  juror,  in  such  a  case  be 


100  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

exempt  from  the  charge  of  perjury,  or  the 
judge  from  the  guilt,  of  subornation  of  per- 
jury? I  presume  not,  in  the  estimation  of  any 
sober  minded  man.  If  it  were  otherwise,  then 
bad  men,  who  form  a  majority  of  every  com- 
munity, might,  by  combining,  violate  all  the 
principles  of  virtue  and  order,  not  only  with 
impunity,  but  also  without  sin. 

Set  it  down,  then,  as  a  first  principle  of 
common  honesty,  as  well  as  of  Christian  truth, 
that  subscription  to  Articles  of  Faith,  is  a 
weighty  transaction,  which  really  means  what 
it  professes  to  mean;  that  no  man  is  ever  at 
liberty  to  subscribe  articles  which  he  does  not 
truly  and  fully  believe;  and  that,  in  subscri- 
bing, he  brings  himself  under  a  solemn,  cove- 
nant engagement  to  the  church  which  he 
enters,  to  walk  with  it  "  in  the  unity  of  faith," 
and  "in  the  bond  of  peace  and  love."  If  he 
cannot  do  this  honestly,  let  him  not  profess  to 
do  it  at  all.  I  see  not  but  that  here,  insince- 
rity, concealment,  double  dealing,  and  mental 
reservations,  are,  to  say  the  least,  quite  as 
mean  and  base  as  they  can  be  in  the  transac- 
tions of  social  and  civil  life. 

You  will,  perhaps,  ask  me,  what  shall  be 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  101 

done  by  a  man  who  loves  the  Presbyterian 
Church;  who  considers  it  as  approaching 
nearer  to  the  scriptural  model  than  any  other 
with  which  he  is  acquainted;  who  regards  its 
Confession  of  Faith  as  by  far  the  best,  in  its 
great  outlines,  and  in  all  its  fundamental  arti- 
cles, that  he  knows;  and  who  yet,  in  some  of 
its  minor  details  cannot  entirely  concur?  Can 
such  an  one  honestly  subscribe,  without  any 
previous  explanation  of  his  views  ?  I  answer — 
by  no  means.  Ought  he,  then,  you  will  ask, 
to  abandon  all  thoughts  of  uniting  himself  with 
our  Church,  when  he  is  in  cordial  harmony 
with  it  in  all  fundamental  principles,  and 
nearer  to  it,  in  all  respects,  than  to  any  other 
Church  on  earth  ?  I  again  answer — by  no 
means.  I  know  of  no  other  mode  of  proceed- 
ing in  such  a  case  as  this,  which  Christian  can- 
dour, and  a  pure  conscience  will  justify,  than 
the  following:  Let  the  candidate  for  admission 
unfold  to  the  Presbytery  before  which  he  pre- 
sents himself,  all  his  doubts  and  scruples,  with 
perfect  frankness;  opening  his  whole  heart, 
as  if  on  oath;  and  neither  softening  nor  con- 
cealing any  thing.  Let  him  cause  them  dis- 
tinctly to  understand,  that  if  he  subscribe  the 


102  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

Confession  of  Faith,  he  must  he  understood  to 
do  it  in  consistency  with  the  exceptions  and 
explanations  which  he  specifies.  If  the  Pres- 
bytery, after  this  fair  understanding,  should  be 
of  the  opinion,  that  the  excepted  points  were 
of  little  or  no  importance,  and  interfered  with 
no  article  of  faith,  and  should  be  willing  to 
receive  his  subscription  in  the  usual  way,  he 
may  proceed.  Such  a  method  of  proceeding 
will  best  accord  with  every  principle  of  truth 
and  honour;  and  will  remove  all  ground  of 
either  self-reproach,  or  of  reproach  on  the  part 
of  others,  afterwards. 

3.  From  the  view  which  has  been  presented 
of  this  subject,  we  may  decide  how  an  honest 
man  ought  to  act,  after  subscribing  to  a  public 
creed.  He  will  feel  it  to  be  his  duty  to  adhere 
sincerely  and  faithfully  to  that  Creed,  in  pub- 
lic and  in  private;  and  to  make  it  his  study  to 
promote,  by  all  means  in  his  power,  the  peace 
and  purity  of  the  body  with  which  he  has  con- 
nected himself.  And  if  he  should,  at  any  time, 
alter  his  views  concerning  any  part  of  the 
Creed  or  order  of  the  Church  in  question,  it 
will  be  incumbent  on  him  to  inquire,  whether 
the  points,  concerning  which  he  has  altered 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.     103 

his  mind,  are  of  such  a  nature  as  that  he  can 
conscientiously  be  silent  concerning  them,  and 
"  give  no  offence"  to  the  body  to  which  he 
belongs.  If  he  can  reconcile  this  with  an  en- 
lightened  sense  of  duty,  he  may  remain  in 
peace.  But  if  the  points  concerning  which  his 
views  have  undergone  a  change,  are  of  so 
much  importance  in  his  estimation,  as  that  he 
cannot  be  silent,  but  must  feel  himself  bound 
to  publish,  and  endeavour  to  propagate  them; 
then  let  him  peaceably  withdraw,  and  join 
some  other  branch  of  the  visible  Church,  with 
which  he  can  walk  harmoniously.  Such  he 
may  find  almost  every  where,  unless  his  views 
be  singularly  eccentric.  But,  at  an)'  rate,  he 
has  no  more  right  to  insist  on  remaining,  and 
being  permitted  publicly  to  oppose,  what  he 
has  solemnly  vowed  to  receive  and  support; 
than  a  member  of  any  voluntary  association, 
which  he  entered  under  certain  engagements, 
but  with  which  he  no  longer  agrees,  has  a 
right  obstinately  to  retain  his  connexion  with 
it,  and  to  avail  himself  of  the  influence  which 
his  connexion  gives  him,  to  endeavour  to  tear 
it  in  pieces. 

It  is  no  solid  objection  to  this  view  of  the 


104  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

subject,  to  allege,  that  every  man  is  under  ob- 
ligations to  obey  the  great  Head  of  the  Church, 
altogether  paramount  to  those  which  bind  him, 
in  virtue  of  any  ecclesiastical  engagements,  to 
obey  the  Church  herself.  This  is  most  readily 
granted.  No  man  can  lawfully  bind  himself 
to  disobey  Christ,  in  any  case  whatever.  But 
this  principle,  it  is  conceived,  has  nothing  to 
do  with  the  point  under  consideration.  Though 
a  man  cannot  properly  bind  himself  always  to 
believe  as  he  now  believes;  nor  always  to  re- 
main in  connexion  with  the  ecclesiastical  body 
which  he  now  joins;  yet  he  may  safely  pro- 
mise that  he  will  be  a  regular  and  orderly 
member  of  the  bod}^,  as  long  as  he  does  re- 
main in  connexion  with  it.  When  he  ceases 
to  be  able  to  do  this,  without  sinning  against 
God,  he  will,  if  he  be  an  honest  man,  imme- 
diately withdraw.  If  he  remain,  and  suffer 
himself  habitually  to  violate  his  engagement, 
under  the  pretence  of  benefitting  the  body  to 
which  he  has  vowed  allegiance,  he  will  be 
chargeable  with  the  sin  of  treacherously  and 
basely  "  doing  evil  that  good  may  come." 

To  illustrate  my  meaning  by  a  familiar  ex- 
ample.    Every  student  of  this  Seminary  has, 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.     105 

at  his  entrance,  made  a  solemn  promise,  that 
"  as  long  as  he  shall  continue  a  member  of  it, 
he  will  conscientiously  and  vigilantly, observe 
all  the  rules  and  regulations  specified  in  the 
plan  for  its  instruction  and  government,  so  far 
as  the  same  relate  to  the  students;  and  further, 
that  he  will  obey  all  the  lawful  requisitions  of 
the  Professors  and  Directors/'  &c.  As  this 
engagement  was  voluntarily  made,  no  honest 
man  will  doubt  that  you  are  all  bound  to  act 
in  conformity  with  it,  to  the  utmost  tittle,  as 
far  as  you  have  ability.  Suppose,  however, 
that  one  of  your  number  should  become  per- 
suaded, that  some  of  the  "  regulations  speci- 
fied in  the  plan"  of  the  Seminary,  are  not 
only  unwise,  and  inconvenient,  but  also  im- 
moral; what  ought  he  to  do?  Ought  he  to 
remain  in  the  institution,  and  habitually  vio- 
late the  regulations  to  which  he  excepted, 
pleading  that  he  could  not  conscientiously 
obey  them,  because,  though  he  had  solemnly 
engaged  to  do  so,  he  felt  himself  under  a  prior 
and  paramount  obligation  to  "obey  God  rather 
than  man?"  This,  surely,  no  Christian  would 
approve,  nor  any  faithful  government  tolerate. 
No;  every  principle  of  honour  and  integrity 


106  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

would  dictate,  that  he  should  immediately 
withdraw  from  the  Seminary;  and  if,  after 
withdrawing,  he  should  be  able  to  convince 
the  General  Assembly  of  our  Church,  that  his 
exceptions  were  just,  and  should  prevail  with 
that  body  to  alter  the  offensive  rules;  then, 
and  not  till  then,  he  might,  with  a  good  con- 
science, resume  his  place  in  the  institution. 

4.  We  are  led  to  reflect,  from  the  represen- 
tation which  has  been  given,  how  easy  it  is  for 
a  single  imprudent  or  unsound  minister  to 
do  extensive  and  irreparable  mischief  in  the 
Church.  Such  an  one,  especially  if  he  be  a 
man  of  talents  and  influence,  by  setting  him- 
self, either  openly  or  covertly,  against  the 
public  standards  of  his  Church;  by  addressing 
popular  feeling,  and  availing  himself  of  popu- 
lar prejudice;  may  do  more,  in  a  short  time, 
to  prepare  the  way  for  fatal  error,  than  all  his 
usefulness,  though  multiplied  a  hundred  fold, 
would  be  able  to  countervail.  Ministers,  my 
young  friends,  may  be  said  to  hold  in  their 
hands  the  interests  of  the  Church,  to  a  degree 
which  no  other  class  of  men  do;  and  which 
ought  to  make  them  tremble  under  a  sense  of 
their  responsibility!     Such  as  is  the  character 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  107 

of  the  ministry  of  any  particular  Church,  will 
be,  generally  speaking,  the  character  of  the 
Church  itself.  On  the  one  hand,  if  the  minis- 
ters of  religion  be  generally  enlightened,  or- 
thodox, holy,  diligent,  and  faithful  men,  the 
Church  to  which  they  belong,  will  never  fail 
to  display  the  influence  of  this  character  in 
happy  results.  On  the  other  hand,  never  was 
the  Church,  in  any  country  or  age,  corrupted, 
divided,  and  ruined,  but  the  mischief  was 
done  by  its  ministers.  However  humiliating 
or  painful  this  assertion  may  be,  it  is  undoubt- 
edly confirmed  by  all  Scripture,  and  all  expe- 
rience. And  as  the  general  influence  of  the 
clerical  character  is  so  vital;  so  it  is  not  easy 
to  measure  the  mischief  that  may  be  done  by 
one  unsound,  graceless,  imprudent,  turbulent 
minister.  If,  in  every  walk  of  society,  "  one 
sinner  destroyeth  much  good,"  how  much 
more  wide  spread,  deplorable,  and  fatal  is  the 
mischief,  when  the  criminal  individual  is  a 
minister!  By  erroneous  opinions;  by  corrupt 
habits;  by  a  love  of  innovation;  by  embracing 
himself,  and  extensively  imparting  to  others, 
pernicious  delusions; — he  may  do  more  in 
five  or  ten  years,  to  agitate,  divide,  corrupt, 


108  UTILITY   AND  IMPORTANCE 

and  weaken  the  Church,  than,  perhaps,  a  score 
of  the  most  faithful  ministers  in  the  land,  can 
do,  humanly  speaking,  for  promoting  its  purity 
and  peace,  in  half  a  century.  The  influence 
of  two  or  three  individuals,  of  popular  talents, 
in  Massachusetts,  more  than  fifty  years  ago, 
in  gradually  undermining  orthodoxy,  and  in 
reconciling  the  public  mind  to  heretical  opi- 
nions, is  as  well  known,  as  it  is  deeply  de- 
plored, by  many  who  are  acquainted  with  the 
ecclesiastical  history  of  New  England.  The 
authors  of  this  mischief  have  long  since  gone 
to  their  account;  but  their  works  have  sur- 
vived them;  and  of  their  awful  ravages,  no 
one  can  estimate  the  extent,  or  see  the  end. 

Beloved  Pupils!  be  it  your  study,  at  all 
times,  to  cherish  a  deep  sense  of  your  solemn 
responsibility  to  God  and  his  Church.  In  a 
little  while,  you  will  be  among  those  to  whom 
the  most  weighty  interests  that  can  be  com- 
mitted to  man,  will  be  entrusted.  Be  faithful 
to  your  high  trust.  Guard,  with  the  utmost 
vigilance,  the  Church's  orthodoxy.  Nothing 
can  be  truly  right,  where  her  doctrinal  prin- 
ciples are  essentially  wrong.  But,  0,  think 
not  that  mere  frigid  orthodoxy,  however  per- 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.     109 

feet,  is  all  that  is  needed.     Labour  to  diffuse, 
in  every  direction;  the  holy  and  benign  influ- 
ence of  truth.     If  "  the  household  of  faith" 
be  corrupted  by  heresy,  or  torn  by  schism,  or 
agitated  by  unhallowed  innovation,  or  become 
cold  through  want  of  ministerial  faithfulness, 
see  to  it,  that  none  of  you  be  found  among 
the  workers  of  the  mischief.      See  to  it  that 
you  seek  unceasingly,  not  "  your  own  things," 
your  own  aggrandizement,  your  own  honour, 
your  own  fancies,  or  your  own  speculations, 
but  "  the  things   which  are  Jesus  Christ's." 
If  you  cannot  benefit  the  Church,  (and   no 
man   has   a   right  to   say  that   he  cannot,  if 
he  have  a  heart  for  the  purpose)  at  least,  do 
not  lend  your  influence  to  the   unhallowed 
work  of  corrupting  and  dividing  it.     And  if 
you  should  ever  be  brought  into  circumstances 
in  which  you  can  do   nothing  else,  see  that 
you   be  found,   like    the   "ministers   of  the 
Lord"   of  old,  "  weeping  between  the  perch 
and  the  altar,  and  saying,  spare  thy  people, 
0,  Lord,  and  give  not  thine  heritage  to  re- 
proach ;  save  them,  and  lift  them  up  forever!" 
5.  We  may  infer,  ^om  what  has  been  said, 
the  duty  and  importance  of  all  the  members, 
10 


HO  UTILITY    AND    IMPORTANCE 

and  especially  the  ministers,  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  exerting  themselves  to  spread  a 
knowledge  of  her  public  standards.  I  say, 
her  "public  standards?'  notwithstanding  all 
the  sneer  and  censure  which  have  been  cast 
on  this  language.  For  every  intelligent  and 
candid  man  in  the  community  knows  that  we 
employ  it  to  designate,  not  formularies  which 
we  place  above  the  Bible ;  but  simply  those 
which  ascertain  and  set  forth  how  we  inter- 
pret the  Bible.  These  formularies — if  they 
be  really  an  epitome  of  the  word  of  God,  and 
surely  we  think  them  so — every  minister  is 
bound  to  circulate,  with  unwearied  assiduity, 
among  the  people  of  his  charge.  This  is  so 
far,  in  general,  from  being  faithfully  done, 
that  I  seriously  doubt,  whether  there  be  a 
Protestant  Church  in  Christendom,  in  which 
there  is  so  striking  a  defect  as  to  the  discharge 
of  this  duty,  especially  in  some  parts  of  the 
country,  as  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Our 
Episcopal  brethren  exercise  a  most  laudable 
diligence  in  placing  the  volume  which  con- 
tains their  articles,  forms,  and  offices,  in  every 
family  within  their  reach,  which  belongs  to 
their  communion,   or   can  be  considered   as 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  HI 

tending  towards  it.  Our  Methodist  and  Bap- 
tist brethren,  with  no  less  diligence,  do  the 
same,  with  respect  to  those  books  which  ex- 
hibit the  doctrines  and  order  of  their  respec- 
tive denominations.  All  this  is  as  it  should 
be.  It  bespeaks  men  sincere  in  their  belief, 
and  earnest  in  the  dissemination  of  what  they 
deem  correct  principles  ?  Why  is  it  that  so 
many  ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
with  a  Confession  of  Faith,  and  Catechisms, 
which,  I  verily  believe,  and  which  the  most 
of  them  readily  acknowledge,  are  by  far  the 
best  that  were  ever  framed  by  uninspired 
wisdom;  and  with  a  Form  of  Government  and 
Discipline  more  consentaneous  with  apostoli- 
cal practice  than  that  of  any  other  Church  on 
earth,  are  yet  so  negligent,  not  to  say  so  in- 
different, as  to  the  circulation  of  these  formu- 
laries ?  They,  perhaps,  do  not  take  the  trouble 
even  to  inquire  whether  there  be  a  copy  of 
the  volume  which  contains  them,  in  every 
family,  or  even  in  every  neighbourhood,  of 
their  respective  charges.  How  are  we  to  ac- 
count for  the  peculiar  frequency  of  this  negli- 
gence in  the  ministry  of  our  Church  ?  It 
would  be  far  from  being  true,  I  trust,  to  say, 


112  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

that  our  clergy  are  more  unfaithful  in  the  ge- 
neral discharge  of  their  duties,  than  those  of 
any  other  communion.  May  we  not  rather 
ascribe  the  fact  in  question  to  another  fact, 
from  which  it  might  be  expected  naturally  to 
arise?  The  fact  to  which  I  allude  is,  that,  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  at  the  present  day, 
and  in  this  country — whatever  may  have  been 
the  case  in  former  times — there  is  less  of  sec- 
tarian feeling ;  less  of  what  is  called,  the 
esprit  du  corps,  than  in  any  other  ecclesiasti- 
cal body  among  us.  We  are  in  truth,  if  I  do 
not  mistake,  so  excessively  free  from  it,  as  to 
be  hardly  ready  to  defend  ourselves  when 
attacked.  We  are  so  ready  to  fraternize  with 
all  evangelical  denominations,  that  we  almost 
forget  that  we  have  a  denomination  of  our 
own,  to  which  we  are  peculiarly  attached. 
Now,  this  general  spirit  is  undoubtedly  excel- 
lent; worthy  of  constant  culture,  and  the 
highest  praise.  But  may  it  not  be  carried  to 
an  extreme?  Universal,  active  benevolence, 
is  a  Christian  duty ;  but  when  the  head  of  a 
family,  in  the  ardour  of  its  exercise,  feels  no 
more  concern  or  responsibility  respecting  his 
own  household,  than  he  does  about  the  house- 


OF  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.     113 

holds  of  others,  he  acts  an  unreasonable  part, 
and,  what  is  worse,  disobeys  the  command  of 
God.  Something  analogous  to  this,  I  appre- 
hend, is  the  mistake  of  that  Christian,  or  that 
minister,  who  in  the  fervour  of  his  Catholi- 
cism, loses  sight  of  the  fact,  that  God,  in  his 
providence,  has  connected  him  with  a  particu- 
lar branch  of  the  visible  Church,  the  welfare 
and  edification  of  which  he  is  peculiarly  bound 
to  seek.  If  his  own  branch  of  the  Church 
have  any  thing  of  peculiar  excellence  in  his 
estimation,  on  account  of  which  he  prefers 
it — which  is  always  to  be  supposed — can  it 
be  wrong  for  him  to  desire  that  others  should 
view  it  in  the  same  light  ?  And  if  he  be  jus- 
tifiable in  recommending  these  peculiarities 
from  the  pulpit — as  all  allow — is  he  not 
equally  justifiable  in  recommending  them 
from  the  press,  especially  by  means  of  accre- 
dited publications  ? 

Happy  will  it  be  for  our  Church,  then,  if 
her  future  ministry  shall  be  more  attentive  to 
the  duty  in  question,  than  many  of  those  who 
have  gone  before  them.  To  you,  beloved 
Candidates  for  the  sacred  office,  let  me  recom- 
mend a  sacred  regard  to  this  duty.  Resist, 
10* 


114  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

always,  to  the  utmost  of  your  power,  the  lit- 
tleness of  sectarian  bigotry,  and  strive  to  banish 
it  from  the  Church.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
cherish  among  her  members  an  enlightened 
attachment  to  that  particular  branch  of  the 
family  of  Christ  in  which  their  lot  is  cast. 
For  this  purpose,  strive  to  promote  among 
them  a  general  and  intimate  acquaintance  with 
our  Confession  of  Faith,  and  Form  of  Govern- 
ment and  Discipline,  as  well  as  our  Catechisms, 
which  latter,  I  fain  would  hope,  are  not  en- 
tirely neglected  in  any  part  of  the  Church. 
Never  advise  the  people  to  take  the  contents 
of  these  public  formularies  on  trust;  but  dili- 
gently to  compare  every  part  of  them  with 
Scripture,  and  see  how  far  they  agree  with  the 
unerring  Standard.  Thus  will  you  be  likely 
to  become  instrumental  in  forming  solid,  intel- 
ligent Christians.  Thus  may  you  hope  to 
become  the  spiritual  fathers  of  multitudes, 
"  whose  faith  shall  stand,  not  in  the  wisdom  of 
men,  but  in  the  power  of  God." 

6.  Once  more;  if  the  foregoing  principles 
be  just,  then  how  unhappy  is  the  mistake  of 
those  who  imagine,  that  by  abandoning  all 
Creeds  and   Confessions,  they   are   about   to 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  1 15 

render  the  Church  an  essential  service;  to 
build  her  up  more  extensively  and  gloriously 
than  ever!  There  are  those  who  imagine  that 
a  new  order  of  things  is  about  to  open  on  the 
Church,  amounting  to  as  great  a  change  of  dis- 
pensation as  ever  marked  the  progress  of  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom,  in  any  preceding  age. 
In  this  new  and  undefined  prospect,  they  seem 
to  themselves  to  see  the  approaching  prostra- 
tion of  most  of  those  fences,  and  the  dissolu- 
tion of  most  of  those  ties,  which  have  hereto- 
fore been  regarded  as  indispensable  to  the 
maintenance  of  unity  and  harmony  in  the 
family  of  Christ.  I  shall  only  say,  that  it  will 
be  time  enough  to  provide  for  this  new  order 
of  things  when  it  shall  arrive;  and  that,  in  the 
mean  while,  in  the  present  state  of  the  world, 
I  should  as  soon  think  of  extending  and  edi- 
fying the  Church,  by  laying  aside  all  the 
means  of  grace;  as  of  promoting  its  purity  and 
peace,  by  abandoning  those  methods  of  bind- 
ing its  members  together,  which  have  been 
found  necessary  ever  since  the  days  of  the 
Apostles. 

The  apostle  Peter  thus  exhorted  the  Chris- 
ians  in  his  day:  "Be  sober,  be  vigilant,  be- 


116  UTILITY  AND  IMPORTANCE 

cause  your  adversary,  the  Devil,  as  a  roaring 
lion  goeth  about  seeking  whom  he  may  de- 
vour." And  another  apostle,  reminded  those 
to  whom  he  wrote,  that  this  adversary  often- 
times "  transformed  himself  into  an  angel  of 
light."  So  it  was  eighteen  centuries  ago; 
and  so  it  is  at  this  hour.  The  very  blessings 
of  the  Church,  as  they  have  been  in  all  ages, 
so  they  are  now,  converted  into  means  of 
deception.  The  progressive  harmony  of  the 
different  evangelical  denominations;  their  in- 
creasing zeal  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel; 
their  growing  disposition  to  sacrifice  many 
smaller  differences  on  the  altar  of  our  common 
Christianity;  have  so  fired  the  imaginations 
of  some  ardent,  sanguine  spirits,  that  they 
have  allowed  themselves  to  be  hurried  on  to 
the  unwarranted  conclusion,  that  all  former 
rules  were  about  to  be  laid  aside,  and  all  for- 
mer barriers  to  be  broken  down.  But  re- 
member my  young  friends,  that  a  similar 
notion  has  been  entertained,  and  afterwards 
abandoned,  in  almost  every  century  since  the 
incarnation  of  Christ.  Remember,  too,  that 
even  when  the  Millennium  shall  arrive,  human 
nature  will  still   be  depraved,  and  will  still 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  H7 

stand  in  need  of  law  and  regulation,  not,  per- 
haps, as  much,  but  as  really  as  now.  And, 
finally,  remember  that  before  that  blessed  day 
shall  actually  dawn  upon  our  world,  we  shall 
probably  have  many  a  sore  conflict  with  the 
enemies  of  truth,  and  stand  in  need  of  all  those 
methods  of  distinguishing  and  binding  together 
its  friends,  to  which  the  word  of  God,  and 
uniform  experience  have  so  long  given  their 
sanction. 

While  I  exhort  you,  then,  to  hail  with  de- 
light the  spirit  of  harmony,  of  union,  and  of 
active  co-operation,  which  is  among  the  most 
precious  and  animating  "  signs  of  the  times" 
in  which  we  live;  and  while  I  earnestly  hope 
that  no  student  of  this  Seminary  will  ever 
stand  afar  off,  or  turn  away  with  an  evil  eye, 
when  the  true  standard  of  Christ  is  raised  by 
any  denomination;  let  me,  at  the  same  time, 
intreat  you  always  to  temper  your  zeal  with 
soberness.  I  say  soberness;  for  this  is  a 
quality,  not  always  found  associated  even  with 
great  vigour  of  talent,  and  great  warmth  of 
piety.  Many  a  man  of  admirable  endow- 
ments in  other  respects;  endowments  which 
qualified  him,  if  they  had   been  happily  di- 


118  UTILITY    AND    IMPORTANCE 

rected,  to  adorn  and  bless  the  Church;  has 
been  either  so  transported  by  the  visions  of  a 
heated  fancy;  or  so  deceived  by  keeping  his 
eye  fixed  on  a  single  point  only  of  the  vast 
scene  before  him;  or  so  impelled  by  the  ap- 
proaches of  others,  as  anomalous  as  himself; 
that,  like  the  comet  of  the  infidel  philosopher, 
he  has  only  been  able  to  strike  off  a  few  wan- 
dering stars  from  the  parent  luminary,  while 
he  himself,  given  up  to  an  orbit  more  and 
more  eccentric,  never  returned,  either  to  regu- 
larity or  usefulness. 

The  Church  is  still  "in  the  wilderness;" 
and  every  age  has  its  appropriate  trials. 
Among  those  of  the  present  day,  is  a  spirit  of 
restless  innovation;  a  disposition  to  consider 
every  thing  that  is  new  as  of  course  an  im- 
provement. Happy  are  they,  who,  taking 
the  word  of  God  for  their  guide,  and  walking 
in  "  the  footsteps  of  the  flock,"  continually 
seek  the  purity,  the  peace,  and  the  edification 
of  the  Master's  family: — Who,  listening  with 
more  respect  to  the  unerring  Oracle,  and  to 
the  sober  lessons  of  Christian  experience,  than 
to  the  delusions  of  fashionable  error,  hold  on 
their  way,  "  turning  neither  to  the  right  hand 


OP  CREEDS  AND  CONFESSIONS.  H9 

nor  the  left,"  and  considering  it  as  their  high- 
est honour  and  happiness  to  be  employed  as 
humble,  peaceful  instruments  in  building  up 
that  "  kingdom  which  is  not  meat  and  drink, 
but  righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost!"  May  God  grant  to  each  of  us 
this  best  of  all  honours!  And  to  his  name  be 
the  praise,  for  ever!  Amen! 


THE    END- 


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